Casting Call
by The Minsk
Summary: A/U. Finn Hudson responds to an open casting call for a new TV show and is thrust into a life he'd only ever dreamed of.
1. Open Auditions

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy :)

A/N: Welcome to my new story, and my very first AU! You will see how AU it actually is when you start reading it, but I think you should all still enjoy the idea. Let me know what you think.

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter One: Open Auditions

* * *

Finn Hudson fiddled with the web-cam on his computer, willing it to sit correctly on his monitor so it wouldn't shake. He cursed his trembling fingers, and wondered if this was a sign that he should give up on this altogether.

Miraculously, the web-camera finally hooked on to the top of the monitor at the angle Finn needed to record his drum set. This was it. All he had to do was film himself and he could stop feeling like such a fool.

He pressed the record button and stuttered out a little speech introducing himself. "Hey, my name is Finn Hudson and I'm 25 years old. I'm from Lima, Ohio, and I think I have what it takes to be on your show." He walked over to his drum kit, and proceeded to show off his talents. When he got up to stop the recording of the video, he re-watched it about 10 times before he attached it to an email, and sent it in.

He felt more than a little foolish. He wasn't even sure why he was getting his hopes up about all of this; he was more than positive it wouldn't amount to anything. But a chance like this. . .it was the opportunity of a lifetime that he just couldn't pass up.

Finn Hudson was your average run-of-the-mill, all-American guy. He was born and raised in the Midwest with only one set goal: to get the hell out of Lima before it ate his soul.

He'd had a real chance to get out after High School. He'd had a free ride to Ohio State on a football scholarship that any guy on the team would have killed for. Unfortunately for Finn, he blew out his knee during the play-offs in Senior Year and lost his scholarship. He'd gone to Community College after that, living at home and working odd-jobs to help his mom pay the bills. Now at 25, he could feel his ambitions slipping away through his fingers, and he knew if he waited any longer he would be stuck in Lima forever. Right now he was Assistant Coach for his old high-school gym teacher, Coach Tanaka. He enjoyed the work, but he felt like he was stuck in High School all over again.

That's when he'd seen the commercials. During _American Idol_ for the past few weeks, there had been commercials all over FOX for an open casting call for their new show that was in development. They wanted to find the most musically talented people in America for a new TV show to start airing next year, and there was a Nationwide casting call for TV's next big stars. You had to be between the ages of 16-26 and have musical talents. All you had to do was record a video of yourself and send it in.

Finn was wary at first because of his lack of vocal training. But he sung in the showers enough to know that he had a pretty decent voice. And he could play the drums pretty well, a talent he'd decided to show off in his video. He couldn't dance to save his life, though. Maybe they had non-dancing roles they had to fill? He would do anything if it meant getting out of Lima. He was also worried about his age. He was already 25, and his 26th birthday was coming up fast. He didn't even know if he could pass as a teenager anymore. But he'd taken acting classes at Allen County Community College on a whim and had liked it a lot. He could totally do this if given the opportunity.

All he had to do was wait and pray.

* * *

Rachel Berry strutted down the streets of Manhattan with only one goal in mind.

To get to her agent's office and yell at him until her face turned blue!

She couldn't understand what was taking him so long to find her a new job. She was Rachel-freaking-Berry for Christ-sakes! Not some random bum on the street!

It had been almost a month since her last paying acting job, and she was starting to get worried. It had taken her forever to break into the Broadway community and now that she was there, she could barely find a decent job that didn't waste her talents. Sure, her agent was able to get her some pretty good auditions, but what good were they if she was always being cast in the background? Rachel Berry was a star and she wouldn't rest until someone else besides her and her agent thought so!

Okay, so maybe she was being a little bit overly-ambitious, but she couldn't help herself. Living in New York her whole life, she was raised in the glow of the lights of Broadway. She had done everything in her power to perfect her talents until no one could deny her a role on stage, and she'd succeeded a few months ago by snagging the lead in _The Phantom of the Opera_. She wasn't the original performer for the role, but she had received glowing reviews and she'd been selling seats. When she left the show about six weeks ago, it had been with the hope she'd be able to find bigger, better things.

She should have never left. The well of good roles had run dry in New York.

She felt like she was missing out on something. Even though she had worked her whole life to become a Broadway star, now that she was here she felt like she was wasting her talents. She needed to branch out, maybe try commercials until she found her next big role. . .

She walked into the agency and marched right up to her Agent's office, bursting in without an invitation. The large, round man almost choked on a half of a bagel.

"R-Rachel! I told you not to barge in like that! Look at me, I'm all verklempt! And I got some schmear on my tie!" Herman Katz was a large Jewish man who spoke more Yiddish than English. Rachel liked him, and he was a pretty decent agent, but her emotions were getting the better of her.

"Have you heard anything? From anyone?" She couldn't keep the worry out of her tone and she started to pace around the tiny office while Herman cleaned up the mess he'd made on himself.

"Calm yourself, bubbelah! I have some good news! Very good news!" Rachel ran forward to sit in the seat in front of his large, messy desk.

"What is it? Is it the people from _Hair_? I know I killed that audition!" She frowned when she saw Herman shake his head.

"No, it's even better. How would you like to fly out to Los Angeles and audition for a role in a new TV show?" His left eyebrow raised in amusement, and Rachel had to resist the urge to lean over and kiss the man. TV? Rachel Berry, the TV star!

"Are you serious? What kind of show is it? Will it be equity?" She'd been trying to get into the Screen Actors Guild but could barely find any equity roles in New York.

"You betcha! I booked your audition for next Monday. It's a high school comedy/musical. I swear, it was like they wrote the part with you in mind." He handed her a thick envelope filled with the excerpts she had to memorize for the audition, and a break-down of each character. "You'll be auditioning for one of the lead roles."

Rachel tore open the envelope and started to read the synopsis of the show and the characters. The title caught her eye, and she blanched when she realized what she was auditioning for. "The new FOX show? The one where they're going around having nobodies send in tapes of themselves?" She hated the idea that some random person would be handed a role when she had been working so hard trying to make it as an actor!

"Oy vey iz mir! Bubbelah, a role is a role! Yes, they are doing the nation-wide casting search, but they are also hiring Equity actors and everyone in-between. This could be the chance of a lifetime. You never know what could happen!"

She frowned severely but continued to read through the paperwork. She opened the script and read the first few pages. She was surprised when the material actually made her laugh. She looked up at Herman skeptically. "And you're saying this show will be a musical? With dance numbers and people bursting into song?"

"Yes. I told you, it's right up your alley. And my baby-faced bubbie can definitely pass for a high schooler. You've got this in the bag. Your flight is Sunday morning. I'll pick you up on the way to the airport."

She couldn't resist, she reached over the giant desk and gave her agent a hug. He had landed her the audition of a lifetime; an actual TV show!

"Thanks Herman, you're a real mentsch!"

* * *

Finn felt foolish after spending the last two weeks on pins and needles over his audition tape. He'd spent many a sleepless night thinking about how he should have drummed a different rhythm, or how he should have added more anecdotes in his video. He'd lost all hope after the deadline had come and gone without a word from Hollywood.

Who was he kidding? He was no Tom Cruise. He wasn't going to just get a call from _Hollywood_ and become a celebrity overnight! He had become too wrapped up in the fantasy of escaping Lima for stardom. Things just didn't work out that way.

He had returned to his normal routine and tried in vain to forget about his audition tape. He couldn't help but feel like a disappointed fool. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing. What would he even do on a singing show? He couldn't dance and he could barely sing.

He let himself into his mother's house after a long day at practice. The football team had gotten better since he'd graduated almost seven years ago, and he'd been at practice all day long. Exhausted, he'd immediately walked over to the kitchen to see if there was any left-over food in the fridge. The blinking of the answering machine caught his eye, and he pressed the button while he scrounged through the fridge for sustenance.

"Mrs. Hudson, this is the Lima Public Library, you have about three dollars in late fees to pay off. . ." He laughed at his mom and her penchant for romance novels. His face lit up when he found a day-old container of Chinese food. He dug right into the cold-leftovers without even heating it up.

"Hello, my name is Tabitha Cohen, the secretary of Ryan Murphy, producer and creator of the shows _Popular_ and _Nip/Tuck_, and I'm calling for Finn Hudson." He stood in his kitchen with cold Lo Mein noodles falling out of his mouth, and he thought his heart had stopped beating. "I am calling in response to your audition tape for our new TV show, _Glee_." His mouth opened in shock and the cold, half-chewed noodles fell right back into the container. "Ryan and the other producers were really impressed by your audition tape, and they wanted to know if you could be in LA on Monday for a read through." Finn was getting light-headed; he refused to breathe until the message was over. "Please confirm this audition by calling me at (504) 555-0687 before tomorrow afternoon. Thank you, and have a nice night."

Finn spit out whatever food was left in his mouth; he was sure he was going to throw up. He replayed the message back four times, writing down the secretary's number and contemplating its validity. Could this all be a joke? He was positive he hadn't told a soul about his audition tape, not even his mom. There was only one way to find out.

He dialed the long-distance number, and was surprised when a professional-sounding woman picked up the phone.

"Hello, Ryan Murphy's office?"

He stammered a bit to himself, unsure of what to say next. But he collected his wits and tried to not sound like a doofus.

"Hello, my name is Finn Hudson, and I received a phone call from you this afternoon about my audition tape." He could feel it coming, the sore sting of rejection when they realized it had all been a mistake. . .

"Ah, yes Mr. Hudson! Thank you for calling back so soon! Will be be seeing you in LA on Monday?" Her warm and pleasant tone threw Finn completely off-guard, and when he realized what all of this meant, he almost completely lost it right then and there.

"Of course!" Was all he could say without screaming like a pre-pubescent girl at a Justin Beiber concert.

"Excellent. Your read through is at 10 AM sharp, Monday morning. Your hotel accommodations will be covered during the audition process by FOX, but you will need to find your own transportation to LA. You will receive an email with the information about the audition, and some supplemental material for your read-through. Good luck, Mr. Hudson, and we'll see you on Monday."

He hung up the phone in complete and total shock. He couldn't believe this was happening!

He was going to LA to audition for a TV show!

By the next morning, he was already packed and shoved every last possession of his into his tiny Honda civic. He wasn't coming back to Lima. Even if the _Glee_ thing didn't work out, this was his chance. He was sure of it. He couldn't afford a plane ticket, so he was driving all the way to California. His mother had been flabbergasted, but supportive. She bought him an atlas of America, and told him to call her after every state boarder he passed.

By the next night, he was on his way to Los Angeles. He was so happy to be leaving Lima, he thought he could sing all the way to California.

But he needed to pace himself.

He had an audition to prepare for.

The audition of his life.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

Do you like it so far? I have so many good ideas for this!

Happy Easter everyone! Or as my atheist friends like to say, "Happy Zombie Jesus Day"

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	2. Ohio Meets Broadway

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy. :)

A/N: Oh the joys of A/U and parallel universes! The Minsk is in heaven! And the two stars-to-be are about to meet!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Two: Ohio Meets Broadway

* * *

It took Finn almost five whole days to drive from Ohio to Los Angeles. He barely slept the entire trip, and he probably broke every traffic law ever written; but he'd made it to the hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, exhausted and filthy. Motels had been out of the question, seeing as he'd had about 75 bucks in his pocket, tops.

Pulling up in front of the most expensive and luxurious place he'd probably ever sleep, he dug through the scattered maps and papers on his passenger seat to pull out his hotel reservation. The secretary had e-mailed him the reservation along with the script excerpts and layout for the audition process. He barely had the time to memorize the dialogue, but what he had memorized had stuck in his head like glue. He had been sent the excerpts for two characters; the wheelchair kid, and the star quarterback. As much as he would like to daydream about playing the starring role, he knew from the character description that he would be the male lead of the glee club; a part that relied very heavily on singing and dancing chops.

And he had neither.

But a kid in a wheelchair? That he could do. If you can't walk, you can't dance. He would memorize the dialogue for both, just in case. A guy could dream.

A man knocked on his window, and asked for his keys so he could valet his car. Finn, being the small-town boy where the cow to person ratio was 2:1, had to ask the guy twice why he couldn't park his own car. The look he gave Finn made him question his own sanity. He got out of his car and pulled out the stuff he'd need for the audition the next day. Awkwardly juggling the paperwork and luggage, he walked into the posh lobby and lurched towards the front desk.

The woman at the desk, who was more tan and more blonde than any girl he'd ever seen, looked at him like he was a fly in her soup. "Can I _help_ you?"

"Um, yeah. I have a reservation. Under Finn Hudson." The woman raised her eyebrow in disbelief and searched through the computer for the name. "Ah, yes, part of the FOX parade. Here's your key. Your room is 415." He cringed internally at her attitude. He definitely was not in Ohio anymore. And what had she meant by "the FOX parade?"

He'd realized what the nasty lady had meant when he walked by the lounge on his way to the elevator. It was filled with young people; all chatting and mingling, excited to have received a call back. He blanched at the number of people he saw. It was probably about a hundred people. For five or six roles.

Maybe he hadn't been so special after all.

_No! Don't think that, Hudson!_ He screamed at himself, trying to be optimistic. There had to be _something_ that had separated him from all the rest of these people. He hadn't driven across an entire country just to get intimidated the day before the audition! He needed to get back to memorizing the script. He avoided the fray and headed straight towards his room, where he was expecting a hot shower, and a long read-through of the material.

What he hadn't expected, was a room-mate.

He walked into the room and immediately saw a shirtless guy with a mohawk, lifting weights on the bed the closest to the window. Finn should have realized that with this many people, FOX would have had to double up the rooms. Dropping his luggage next to the free bed, the other guy turned around and gave Finn a good once-over. He stood up and reached out a hand.

"Hey. I'm Noah. The guys in my frat called me Puck in college, though. I like that better."

"I'm Finn, nice to meet you."

"So what part of the nation did they pull your tall ass out of?"

Finn laughed for the first time in five days. "Lima, Ohio. Loserville, USA."

"Nice. I'm from right outside Dallas. Why do I have a feeling we've both tipped cows before?"

"My record in high school was 35."

"Mine was 50."

"Impressive. Right now I smell like a cow. I drove all the way from Lima to LA without a shower."

"Get on that, dude. You reek like a mo-fo."

Finn laughed on his way to the shower. At least this Puck dude didn't seem half bad.

That night he'd spent the evening running lines with Puck. He was auditioning for almost the same roles as Finn was, except Puck was more ambitious. He had brought his guitar with him, and the guy could sing and play. Finn had felt a little intimidated, until it had come to the acting. Finn definitely had Puck on the acting skills. Acting just seemed to come naturally to him.

In the morning, the prospective candidates had to meet in the grand hall and take shuttle buses to the lot depending on the scheduled time of their audition. Puck's audition wasn't until 2, so Finn went on the bus alone. He'd overheard many people gossiping over the celebrities that were auditioning for some of the roles. They had bounced around names of people he knew, and others he didn't. He tried not to let it get to him.

The shuttle bus pulled onto a lot and Finn followed the people into the building where he would have to give the performance of his life. He had picked out the perfect song he could sing for the musical part of the audition, and repeated the dialogue he'd memorized in his head like a prayer. He was given a number, and told to wait in the little lobby. He went into the back corner, away from all the other people, in order to clear his head.

He was here, in Los Angeles, preparing to audition for a television show. Him, Finn Hudson, from Bumblefuck, Nowhere.

He took a deep breath. He was ready.

* * *

Rachel Berry pulled her sunglasses onto her face while fixing her hair in the tinted windows of the car Herman had reserved for her. She had been quite happy with the hotel he'd gotten them too. It wasn't the Chateau Marmont or anything, but it had made her feel like a star.

And she would be a real star soon, if she landed this role.

Her car pulled into the lot and she went over the dialogue in her head over, and over again. She had memorized the entire script, preparing for any role they could ask her to read for. She was hoping to secure the lead as the sassy diva. She had he most singing roles, and the romantic interest in whoever they casted as the male lead. But she wouldn't think about boys now. Today was her big chance, her big moment.

She walked into the small building, and blanched when she saw that she would have to wait along with the random people that had been given the opportunity to be cast in the role that had practically been written for her. She kept her sunglasses on, even inside, to keep up her celebrity appearance. She marched right up to the receptionist and said a little louder than necessary, "Good Morning, I'm Rachel Berry." Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw some of the people turn in her direction, pointing and whispering. A-ha! Validation of her own stardom!

The receptionist gave her a pleasant smile. "Please wait in the lobby Ms. Berry. Ryan and Brad will want to see you soon." Rachel nodded and walked towards the back of the lobby, trying to avoid the gawking people. She found an area where the only person around was a tall guy with his head in his hands. She sat down and crossed her legs. He barely spared a glance at her and she hadn't seen his face. She frowned. He hadn't recognized her.

She sighed. She had to drop the diva act for today. She was probably the only person in the Broadway community who didn't go out to parties and events for social networking. Rachel Berry might have had the skills to belt a high F, but she had enough social prowess to fill a thimble. She needed to make friends in Hollywood if she wanted to get anywhere. She would practice with this guy, who looked a bit old to play a high school kid. Maybe he was auditioning to be one of the teachers?

"Hey." The guy looked at her, and she removed her glasses so she could see him clearly. She almost had to do a double-take. She hadn't expected him to be so handsome. She'd thought that because he was so tall he must've been old, but she'd been wrong. His face had a boyish, youthful charm to it that made her heart flutter in her chest like a 16-year-old with a crush. His eyes were deep brown, and filled with worry. He sat up straight, and stretched his long limbs forward. He had to be over six feet tall! She composed herself and shook away the fluttery feelings in her chest. "You nervous?"

He laughed, a throaty chuckle that eased the nervousness out of his face. "Can you tell? I'm about to lose it."

She smiled, and was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. It was never this easy to talk to people who were in the business. Which meant he probably wasn't in the business. "Is this your first time at the rodeo, cowboy?"

He turned his body towards her and she felt his eyes sweeping over her body to take in her full appearance. He smiled warmly at her and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Where are you from?"

"Lima, Ohio." Wow, they sure plucked these people out of nowhere! "You?"

She puffed out her chest, forgetting that she was trying to be modest. "New York City. I'm a Broadway actress. Auditioning is a part of life for me." She noticed the slight frown on his handsome face, and back-tracked. "But I still sometimes get nervous. I'm nervous today." Actually, she had been more confident than nervous, but talking with this adorably cute guy, minutes before the audition of her life, was making her anxious.

"Really? But you have nothing to worry about! You can dance, sing, and act. I can barely do two out of three. I'm starting to wonder why they chose me at all." She felt a rush of indignation that this cute guy was one of the people who was under-qualified for a role, but after years of being in the business she knew one thing: You can never pass up a pretty face. And this guy had the face of a real star. She could feel it just by looking at him; he had something about him that was different. But she didn't say anything, not knowing anything about his talent. He could be an amazing singer and not just a pretty face. A girl could dream.

"So what's your name, Ohio?"

He grinned brilliantly and she felt her stomach drop into her knees. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd been in shows with some of the most beautiful people she'd ever seen and had never reverted to a silly girl like this before! "Finn. Finn Hudson. And you, Broadway?"

"Rachel Berry. Remember it now, because one day you'll be telling your grandchildren about the day you met me. Of course, I'll have more platinum albums and awards then, so it will be a much bigger deal." Rachel was not stupid. She knew how abrasive and egotistical she could be; It was just a part of who she was. Most of the time people would find a reason to run away screaming from her after she'd said something like that.

Finn, though. . . Finn Hudson from Lima, Ohio, just smiled and nodded. "You bet I will."

Her heart seized in her chest and then restarted with an erratic rhythm that left her dumbstruck. The receptionist peeked her head back ito the secluded space and smiled pleasantly at Finn.

"Finn Hudson? Mr. Murphy will see you now." Finn's eyes looked like they were about to bug out of his face, and he looked at her like a deer in the headlights. She realized then that she hadn't been nervous for her own audition, she'd been nervous for his. She wanted him to nail it, she wanted him to go on to the next set of call-backs.

She wanted the opportunity to know this Finn Hudson from Lima, Ohio. She may not ever see him again.

She couldn't resist placing a small hand onto his large, clenched fist. She looked at him calmly, and she could feel the tension easing out of him. "Good luck, Ohio." She must have said that line a million times throughout her life in the theatre, but she had never meant it more than in that very moment.

He took a deep breath and gave her a shaky smile. "Thanks, Broadway."

He got up and followed the receptionist into the audition room. She crossed her fingers for him, and hoped she would get the chance to see him again after today.

After a few minutes of thinking about the cute boy she'd had an actual normal conversation with, she focused on breathing exercises to calm herself before her audition.

Finn might have been in doubt of his own talents, but Rachel was not. She was a star; always had been, always will be.

And she was ready.

* * *

Finn exited the audition room, shaking like a leaf and sweating like a pig. His vision was blurry, and he thought he might cry.

He'd been asked to stay.

He was heading for a special green room. Most of the people he saw coming into the building had been escorted out of the lot by security guards and loaded right back onto the bus. Not Finn. He'd been directed through a different door, and now had to wait through the rest of the day's auditions to have the read-through with the other actors.

To say he was ecstatic would be an understatement. He was pretty sure words didn't exist to describe what he was feeling.

The second he'd walked into the room, he knew he was going to nail the audition. He didn't know why, he'd just felt it. It was a crazy mix of confidence and adrenaline, and he subsequently nailed his song, and the read through of the parts. In fact, the producers had him read more lines for the quarterback than the wheelchair kid, but he assumed that was because the footballer had more dialogue.

So he walked into the green room and slumped into one of the vacant seats. There were only a handful of people here, and only a few others trickled into the room as the time passed.

One person he didn't see, though, was Broadway. Uh, Rachel. Rachel Berry the Broadway star. He couldn't believe he had talked to a real celebrity. He hadn't known she was a celebrity, and Broadway definitely wasn't his thing, but she was different than the other people he'd met so far in LA. Well, she had the same fancy clothes and a bit of an attitude, but there had been something else. She had kind of inspired him a little bit before his audition. Being in her presence, he wanted to prove to her he had what it took to be an actor. He wanted to see her again, to show her he was actually talented and not a cow-tipping loser. It had feuled his adrenaline during his audition.

He relaxed into his chair and thought about the brunette actress. She was pretty, but in an unconventional way. She was petite, with olive skin and dark hair. Her eyes were a deep, chestnut brown, and they'd mesmerized him once she'd taken off her sunglasses. The most prominent feature on her face, though, was her nose; a bit too large for standard beauty, but endearing nonetheless. And she'd actually been nice. He could sense a bit of an ego trip, but that's to be expected from people in the business, right? If he became a celebrity, would he ever get a big ego? He shook his head furiously at the thought of him ever being full of himself or having an attitude with fans. He promised himself at that moment if he was ever lucky enough to have fans, he would never let them down. He would be the nicest guy in Hollywood if it killed him!

Rachel Berry, though, was an actual star already. She was pretty and professional and probably had an agent and a publicist and all the things he could only ever hope to have. He wanted to hear her sing, so he could see what kind of talents a Broadway actress actually had. He'd never even been to New York. He sighed.

Well, at least he'd made it this far. He sat in the little green room and noticed when another person would come in and make themselves comfortable. He had a feeling he would be here for a while. He rested his head back against the wall and let the exhaustion of the morning consume him. While he was nodding off, he pictured himself and Rachel singing together on a Broadway stage, and let the image drift him off into a peaceful nap.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

The next round of auditions commences! The cast will soon be assembled!

Until Next Time. . . *sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	3. Made For TV

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy :)

A/N: Oh, just wait to see what I have in store for you all. I think I might have to up the rating in the future!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Three: Made for TV

* * *

Finn was woken up abruptly from his nap when his only friend in LA and hotel room-mate, Puck, ran into the green room screaming, "YEAH SON! HOW D'YA LIKE ME NOW??!!" Finn shot up in his seat and had to shake away the image of a dream he'd had where he was strutting down the red carpet and avoiding paparazzi. He took one look at Puck, and started to laugh when he saw him doing a crazy football-touchdown dance, and pretending to slap a non-existent ass. Finn was happy to see that he'd made it through to the next set of auditions.

"Finn! Bro, we are one step closer to infamy!" Puck came over and sat with him, and they chatted a bit about the auditions. Finn knew Puck's audition had been at two, so he hoped he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

"Where there many people left at the hotel?"

Puck shook his head. "No, I came with the last batch. All day long, I had to see the bus bring back the people who were turned away, and it was _brutal_. Chicks crying, dudes crying; I was starting to get nervous. But I step one foot in the room and immediately the guy says he liked my mohawk. Gave me the confidence to kick some LA ass, you know what I mean?" They high-fived and laughed while Finn ran his free hand through his hair in thought.

"I was so nervous before I stepped into the room. But, like, three minutes before they called me in to the audition, I met this girl. This Broadway freakin' actress, from New York City of all places!"

"No shit, dude! Was she hot?

"Yeah. She was pretty hot. And she, like, inspired me or something. . .I don't know. When I got into that room, all I thought about was how this was my chance to prove that I wasn't just a talentless loser they plucked out of a corn field."

"What was her name?"

"Rachel. Rachel Berry." Puck whipped out his iPhone, and typed her name into the YouTube Application. Her name came up, a cam-recording of her time in _Phantom of the Opera_. "Is this her? She's not that hot. I was thinking Carmen Electra hot, she's like, average." Finn wanted to argue with him, but he was distracted by the video playing of her on stage. The sound was scratchy and weak, coming out of the small speakers, but he could still hear the quality and the richness of the tone. It did something to him. Her voice filled him up with a heavy emotion he'd never felt before. He was mesmerized by the sound of it, and couldn't take his eyes away from the tiny screen and the image of her on stage, singing her heart out. That was true talent. He was blown away.

Before Puck could comment again on her average hotness, the secretary from before came into the room. All the people who had been waiting patiently in the Green Room rose to their feet in anticipation of the next set of auditions.

"Congratulations to all of you who've made it to the next round of auditions! We're going to need you all to read again, not particularly the same scene though. We've already cast some of the roles, so we want to see you read with some of the actors to see how well you work with the professionals." Finn felt the panic seize in his chest. Some of the roles had already been cast? Was one of them the wheelchair kid? The football star?

"First we would like to see, Noah Puckerman, please." Puck stood up and followed the lady out of the side door. Finn still held onto his iPhone, and used this time to soak up every video he could find of her singing on YouTube. He couldn't get enough of the sound of her voice. He prayed that she was one of the professionals who had landed a role. She deserved it. Then, at least if he didn't make it, he could watch her on the show and quietly obsess about what could have been.

The secretary poked her head out of the door. "Finn Hudson?"

He stood up quickly, and followed the lady into the room. He could see the same panel of producers that he'd auditioned for before, and he saw Puck walking up to him, a slight frown on his face.

Forgetting his place for a moment, he went up to Puck and handed him the iPhone. "What's up, Puck?"

Puck shrugged, "I don't think they asked me to stay." Finn held out his hand and they worked out a complicated handshake.

"Stay cool, man." Finn was about to let go when he heard a loud, deep, booming voice.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Puck and Finn stayed frozen in place, their hands still attached. They looked around and saw the one and only Ryan Murphy walk up to them, staring at them like he was analyzing fine art. "Don't move." He circled around them, and Finn started to feel awkward under his heavy stare. "Brad!" The other man at the panel of producers shot out of his seat and walked right up to Ryan and the guys. "This looks good. They look good together."

Brad nodded his head. "Do you want me to grab the cinematographer?"

Ryan shook his head. "No. Get me the dialogue from the scene on the football field." Brad pulled out two copies of a page and gave it to each boy. Ryan separated the two boys and placed them standing next to each other.

"Puck, you read for the friend. Finn, read for the quarterback. Look through this for a minute and start whenever you guys are ready." Finn and Puck took one incredulous look at each other and then shared a grin. They read over the scene and nodded to the other when they were ready.

_"Hey, what's going on?"__  
__  
__"Oh, I have to miss practice Saturday afternoon. It's, uh, my mom. I gotta help her cook and do things."__  
__  
__"Why?"__  
__  
__"She just had, uh, surgery."__  
__  
__"What kind of surgery?"__  
__  
__"Uh, well, she, um, she had to have her, uh, prostate taken out."__  
__  
__"Man, that's a tough break."__  
__  
__"Yeah, it's, uh, engorged."_

Finn and Puck finished the dialogue, and waited for any sign of recognition from the producers. Ryan Murphy was still staring at Finn in a way that made him feel almost uncomfortable. Was there something on his face?

All of a sudden, he laughed. Ryan Murphy, the man who could either make him or break him as an actor, was actually laughing at a scene he'd read.

"Good. Mr. Puckerman, I am sorry for your premature dismissal earlier. Thank you for reading this with Mr. Hudson. I think we have something planned for you. Please follow Ms. Cohen back to the green room. We'll see you later." Puck's face lit up and he pat Finn on the back as he turned to leave. Finn was left all alone in the room with the producers.

"Now, as for you, Mr. Hudson. I want to see how well you work with our star. Take this scene and read it over until we can get her in here."

Finn took the scene from the producers and looked it over. It was a main scene between the quarterback and the diva. . .they had been making him read the lead parts all day! He was starting to get nervous. He was minutes away from meeting a real actor, and now he had to make sure this read-through was perfect. If he landed the lead role in this show, his life would be changed forever.

He lost himself in the material, and waited until they brought in the big guns.

* * *

Rachel Berry sat in a separate green room that had been reserved for the equity actors and the crew. She sipped her tea and sat smugly, surrounded by the other actors who were still auditioning for the vacant roles.

She had nothing to worry about, though.

She had already been cast. In the leading role.

She knew it from the second she walked into the room that she would walk out with the role. She had embodied every aspect of the character, and her song had left them all speechless. She had been offered the role of her dreams, and she'd took it without a seconds hesitation. Now she just had to sit around and wait to read with the other people who were still being cast.

She took a second to wonder about the guy she'd met earlier that day. Ohio. Finn Hudson. The fact that she'd remembered his name was a testament to the affect he'd had on her. She hadn't seen him be escorted out of the building, which meant that they had asked him to stay. He was kind, but naive about the world of show-business. She was afraid he wouldn't be asked to stay much longer.

"Rachel Berry?" She stood up and walked over to Ryan's secretary. "Ryan would like you to read with someone." Rachel nodded and followed Tabitha to the audition room. She smiled brightly at the producers and turned to see who she was reading with.

"Ohio?" She said the name on reflex when she saw her new friend. She had to tamper down the feelings of excitement that he hadn't been sent home. Professionalism was always important during auditions.

"Broadway!" He said her nick-name in an enthusiastic way that left her curiously lightheaded. There was something about him that affected her in the oddest ways.

"Do you two know each other?" Ryan asked from behind the table. He looked at them suspiciously.

Rachel shook her head. "Not really. We met right before his audition."

Ryan nodded and handed the two of them another page of dialogue. "Now Finn, Rachel's character is a high school sophomore named Lea Michele. She's a bossy diva who is trying desperately to get your attention. You are the cool, popular, sports guy, Cory Monteith, and she freaks you out and intrigues you at the same time. You're both in the glee club, and you're on a class trip. Take a second to work out the scene, and then give it to me."

She saw Finn look over the dialogue, and he gave Rachel a funny look when he'd realized she was not. She whispered to him, "I've already memorized it." He smiled, and nodded his head when he was ready.

Rachel transformed into the character, and hoped Finn could do the same for his.  
_  
__"You're very talented."__  
__  
__"Really?"__  
__  
__"I would know. I'm very talented, too. I think the rest of the team expects us to be an item. You the hot, male lead, and me the stunning young ingénue everyone roots for."__  
__  
__"Well, I, uh have a girlfriend."__  
__  
__"Really? Who?"__  
__  
__"Dianna Agron."__  
__  
__"Cheerio Dianna Agron? The President of the Celibacy club?"__  
__  
__"We're almost four months now. She's cool. Hmm, I wonder if they have Sour Patches."_

Rachel was impressed with Finn's reading. She had completely underestimated his talents. His presence was there, and he perfectly embodied the awkwardness of the scene.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one who was impressed.

"Great. That was really, really good guys! I just need you two to do one more thing." Ryan left the room and came back with a man with glasses. Without saying a word, the man sat down at a piano in the corner of the room, and Ryan handed Finn a piece of sheet music. "The accompanist over here is going to work with you, Finn, for about 15 minutes. Then we're going to come back and hear you sing with Rachel." Finn nodded, and walked over to the piano to warm-up. Rachel followed Ryan and the other producers out of the room. She could overhear their whispers.

"What did you think?"

"As long as the kid can sing I think we've found our guy. Hell, he could've been the worst singer we'd heard today, but that kid is our Cory. His face was made for TV. He looks great with Rachel and can act. His solo was mediocre, but hopefully he blends well with Rachel. Thank God he was more than just a good-looking guy. I didn't know what to expect from an audition tape with just drumming!"

She kept her mouth shut, even though she desperately wanted to say something in Finn's defense. She was sure he'd been chosen to come to LA because of his looks and not because of any real talent they'd seen. But she would never tell him that. She barely knew the guy, but deep down she felt like he had more talent than anyone realized. She was hoping he'd prove them all wrong.

* * *

Finn sang with the pianist and tried desperately to calm his frayed nerves. He memorized the harmonies they wanted him to rehearse, and he knew that in a few more minutes, the producers and Rachel would come back in and he would have to sing his heart out in order to win this role. The role of a lifetime, opposite an amazing starlet that could sing like a dream. How would he ever be able to compare to her? And he hadn't even met the other people who'd been cast for the show, there could be even better singers than her!

He shook the idea out of his head. No one was better than her. Rachel Berry had the best voice he'd ever heard.

And if he landed this role, he would get to hear it every day.

The producers and Rachel came back into the room, and the second he made eye contact with her, he knew he needed to win this role. He was ready.

Rachel walked up to him and waited for the cue. When he heard the end of the intro, he closed his eyes, nodded his head, and opened his mouth to sing.

_Just a small-town girl, living in a lonely world__  
__She took the midnight train going anywhere__  
_  
When Rachel started to sing, he had to remember he was in the middle of the audition of his life. He was so blown away from her voice, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Those little YouTube video's didn't do her any justice at all! Hearing the real thing was a completely different experience.

_Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit__  
__He took the midnight train going anywhere_

In that moment he knew. . .even if he wasn't chosen for this. . .even if he wound up crawling back to Lima with his tail between his legs, that this was the moment he sang with Rachel Berry the Broadway star. This was the moment he was more than just Finn Hudson from Lima, Ohio.

He was a star, too.

_A singer in a smoky room__  
__  
__A smell of wine and cheap perfume_

Their voices joined together in harmony, and Finn thought he would never hear a more beautiful sound.  
_  
__For a smile they can share the night__  
__It goes on and on and on and on_

Ryan stood up, cutting off the accompanist and stopping them before they hit the bridge. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! This is fantastic." He walked up to Finn and shook his hand. Finn was on pins and needles waiting for the words he so desperately wanted to hear. "You two sound so good together, I never would have imagined! Come on, follow me."

Finn looked at Rachel incredulously, not knowing what exactly was going on. She just smiled and followed Ryan out of the room. Panicking, he ran after her, not wanting her to be out of his sight. She knew more about this process than he did, and he felt like a lost puppy without her.

Walking into a large office, he sat down next to Rachel, with Ryan sitting behind the large desk. Finn squirmed under Ryan's intense stare, the same one he'd been getting all day. "Finn, I have to say, I was more than a little impressed with you today."

Finn squirmed even more, and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, nervously. "Thank you, sir."

"I mean, we plucked you out of the Midwest and you show up with some serious acting chops and a pretty decent voice. And that face! It was like you were made for TV! The dancing needs work, but it will come in time."

Finn didn't respond, not knowing what to say. He was still waiting for the confirmation that his dreams were coming true. . .

"How would you like to be our Cory Monteith?"

Hearing the actual words coming out of Ryan Murphy's mouth was almost like an out-of-body experience. He looked over at Rachel, the Broadway star, and she was smiling and nodding her head. The reality of it all hit him, leaving him breathless. It was almost too much to bear. He felt a heavy emotion clog up his throat, and he cleared it and choked out, "I would love to."

"Perfect! I need you to be here tomorrow morning at 8AM sharp. Your hotel reservation is good until the morning, then you'll have to find somewhere else to stay. I assume you don't have an agent, yet?"

Finn opened his mouth to stutter out something about not knowing where to find one, when Rachel answered for him. "Well Ryan, I think my agent would be more than happy to pick up a new client. It would be much easier on the legal front to have the same agent work with both actors, don't you agree?" Ryan nodded firmly and handed Finn a thick envelope.

"Alright Finn, here's the deal. Tomorrow, your agent and the producers will work out the terms of your contract after the read-through with the cast. Here is the script, memorize what you can for tomorrow. You'll get a stipend to find a place to live. Dance rehearsals start Wednesday. Filming starts next Wednesday. You'll also spend some time in the studio, recording songs. After that, the pilot will be sent to Fox, and you'll get a call in a month to see if the show got picked up. Then, we'll need you to come back and film the other twelve episodes."

Finn just nodded, trying desperately to soak in all of the information that was pouring out of Ryan's mouth. He was still in shock over being chosen for he lead role in a TV show!

"OK."

"It's settled then! Congratulations Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, you two are our Cory and Lea!"

He looked down at his petite co-star (co-star!), and she winked at him.

"Welcome to Hollywood, Ohio."

* * *

Salut mes amis!

The lead roles have been filled! Now Finn has to meet the rest of the cast and deal with the realities of being in show business!

Until Next Time. . . *sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	4. Co Star Chemistry

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . .nor the actors who portray the characters. . .The characters are the property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy :)

A/N: Ah, now that the two stars have been cast, the drama can begin!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Four: Co-Star Chemistry

* * *

Finn stood outside of the little building on the large production lot, holding his new script tightly against his chest with his arms crossed over it. He wasn't letting this thing out of his sight if it killed him! He was looking forward to going back to his room and running lines with Puck all night long.

There was only one problem: the bus had left and there was no way for him to get back to the hotel.

He couldn't find Puck; he was probably still inside. He hoped that Puck had really been cast as the friend. He was still in shock he'd been cast as the lead role; he had to pinch himself after stepping out of Ryan's office to make sure he wasn't still dreaming in the Green Room.

Letting a huge yawn escape his lips, he wondered how he was going to get back to his hotel. He really needed to relax.

"Hey, Ohio!" His spirits raised when he heard the unmistakable sound of his new co-star, Rachel Berry, who he was slowly starting to worship as a goddess of some kind. He smiled brightly at her as she rolled down the tinted windows of a very expensive-looking car. She smiled at him, but her eyes were once again covered with designer sunglasses. "Need a ride?"

"Yeah, the bus left for the hotel without me. I'm kind of stuck."

"Well, come on. I wanted you to meet my agent, then I'll drop you off." She opened the side door to the backseat and he hopped into the car. He looked over at Rachel timidly and she was primping her hair in a mirror. He was still a bit starstruck around her. He was crushing on her, hardcore. Being alone with her after the stress of the day, it was easier to admit to himself now that he definitely had a thing for her. How could he not? She was a beautiful, talented celebrity. But she was his co-star, and he was some nobody from Bumblefuck, Ohio. But a guy could dream, and he was the lucky man who will be starring opposite of her once filming starts. At least he'll get to be around her.

"Thanks. I really don't know what to do now, you know? I know nothing about agents or anything like that. I feel lost." She stopped looking at herself in the mirror and turned to Finn, pulling the sunglasses off of her face.

"I know how you feel. It's been a while since I was in your position, but there was a time where I was struggling to make it in New York. Getting an agent was brutal, which was one of the reasons I suggested you see Herman. He's a fair man who won't try and take more than what he's earned. You can never be too careful with people in Hollywood, Finn. Remember that." Soaking up every word and committing it to memory, Finn shook his head enthusiastically. She knew what she was talking about, and from that point on, he knew that she would be the only person he trusted in Hollywood.

"Will you. . . help me?" He asked the question hesitantly, not wanting to hear rejection coming from the brunette Broadway star. She looked at him curiously, and he back-tracked and started to ramble anxiously. "I mean, I don't know anything about the business, and Ryan was throwing around words like 'pick-ups' and 'up-fronts,' and I felt like such a dweeb just sitting there and nodding like I knew what he was talking about. What does a publicist even do? Do I need to get one too?" Before he could continue his nervous questioning, Rachel inched closer to him on the seat and placed a finger to his lips to stop him.

"Finn?" It was the first time he'd heard her say his name, and his heart started to pound so loud he was afraid she would be able to hear it. He held the script even tighter against his chest, hoping to stifle the sound of his hammering heart.

"Yes, Rachel?"

She smiled slowly, and he was mesmerized by her beauty. "Relax. I would be more than happy to help you get comfortable with the business. I sure wish I had someone like that who could have helped me when I was starting out. You're too adorable, Ohio. Your naiveté will get you murdered in this town without me. You're lucky I just happen to be your co-star. I know this business inside and out." She pinched his cheek in an affectionate way and he nodded, resisting the urge to lean over and kiss her. . .

What, where did that thought come from?

He shook the insane idea out of his head and smiled at her as best as he could. This was not good! He couldn't go around thinking about kissing his co-star. It was unacceptable.

But looking at her in the backseat of the luxurious town car, he could picture them as "Hollywood's New It Couple," holding hands and going out to restaurants. Being photographed by Paparazzi, and worshiped by fans.

But it was just pure fantasy. She was a star and he was still a nobody. They hadn't even started filming the show, and he was already imagining an unattainable life.

They continued their ride to see Rachel's agent in silence. Every now and then Rachel would get a phone call and he would hear her argue with some person or another about things he had no clue about. He still held onto his script like his life depended on it, and bounced his leg nervously for the duration of the ride.

They pulled up to a hotel that made his own look like the Holiday Inn. This was how the stars lived! He was plucked out of another celebrity fantasy when Rachel grabbed his wrist and brought him back to the matter at hand.

"C'mon, Ohio. Time to meet your new agent."

* * *

"Oy vey! That face! That ponim!" Herman was walking circles around Finn, and Rachel was laughing at the terrified look on his face at the intense scrutiny of her agent. "For a gentile you sure have good bone structure!"

"Thank you?" Rachel laughed even harder.

"Let me talk to my bubbie for a minute, I'll be right back." Herman pulled Rachel away from Finn and started to whisper to her in rushed tones. "Are you sure about this goy? I mean, I don't want to kvetch, but this kid has no experience and no training at all."

"Herman, this is me! Would I ever steer you wrong? Even if the _Glee_ thing doesn't work out, he's a good client to pick up. You and the producers both said the same thing; the guy has the face of a star. I can cover his fees until we get our stipends."

He looked at her severely. "You don't have a thing for this goy, do you? Remember what I told you about dating co-stars! Business and pleasure never mix!" Rachel nodded her head firmly, but had to squash down the disappointment she'd felt when she was reminded of the strict rules of her trade. Never get involved with your co-star.

Even if he was an adorable, tall, awkward boy from Ohio, who knew nothing of the harsh realities of Hollywood.

She thought about what Finn had asked her in the car. He'd asked her to be a sort of mentor to him. Normally she would have shot down an offer like that, but there was something about him that made her sympathetic towards his plight. He'd looked so lost, standing outside of the building, clutching his script like a child holds onto a blanket. He'd seemed so naive when he was talking about the things he didn't yet understand about the show. She felt it was almost like her duty to help him. She actually wanted to help him. She couldn't say no.

But a _thing_? Did she really have a thing for her new co-star? She looked over at him and he was staring at the main lobby like he was at the Louvre. Everything about this town seemed to mesmerize him, and his child-like wonder and naiveté was more enduring to her than annoying. He was by far the nicest guy she'd ever met, and he did have a face and body of a model.

_Shit. _She thought to herself._ I so have a thing for my co-star!_

But she was a professional. Acting was her life. She could totally cover it up, and no one would ever know.

"Herman, who do you think you're talking to? This is me! I've never crushed on a co-star, and I don't plan on starting."

"Good! It's settled then! Finn!" She saw him turn around and trot back over to the two of them, still holding onto that script for dear life. "I will see you in the morning after the read-through to talk about the terms of your contract. Good luck at the read-through tomorrow. Here's my card. Call me anytime." Finn took the card and shook the man's large, chubby hand.

"Thank you Mr. Katz!"

"Ah, Mazel Tov!" Rachel placed a hand on Finn's back, and led him out of the hotel lobby and back to the car. She grinned when she saw him yawn widely, and knew he would have to get used to the demanding hours of the job.

"C'mon Ohio, you must be exhausted." He nodded sleepily and got into the town-car. When the car pulled out onto the freeway, it was immediately caught in LA rush hour traffic. She sighed. She knew they would be there for a while. "You can take a nap if you want. First lesson about LA is that you never want to get stuck in traffic this bad. You'll be here for hours."

He chuckled. "What sage advice coming from the Broadway star! Don't get stuck in traffic?"

"Hey! You said you wanted to know about this town. Traffic is a big issue here! It could make you late for the audition of your life!"

"We just _had_ the audition of our lives!" She smiled at his tired enthusiasm while he yawned again. "You were amazing." He'd said it so groggily, she'd barely heard him.

"What?" His eyelids were drooping, but he looked at her with hooded eyes and he smiled.

"I've never heard someone who could sing like you before. I was really starstruck."

She blushed furiously. No one besides her agent told her she was amazing. She'd gotten good reviews during _Phantom_, but nothing earth-shattering. For the first time in her life, she tried to be modest.

"No, it's nothing, really. . ." But he cut her off.

"Seriously, Broadway. You blew me away. If this never works out; if we film the pilot and it never gets picked up. . .I'll always remember singing with you. And I'll always be your biggest fan. I just wanted you to know."

Rachel sat in the back-seat of the town-car, watching her tall, naive co-star fall into a light nap. Her heart was being fast and erratic, and she repeated Finn's words in her head over and over again.

_He said I was amazing! He said he would always be my fan!_ She couldn't help the pure elation that passed through her while Finn napped next to her. She felt a rush of affection for him, and spent the next few minutes watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful, so innocent. All she wanted to do was kiss him.

So she did. She leaned into his body which was slumped against the car door, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He never stirred, and she blushed furiously at the idea that she had just stolen a kiss from her new co-star not even a full nine hours after they'd met. They had a chemistry she'd never experienced with anyone before. She also realized with a blush, that her _thing_ was more than just a thing.

She didn't care.  
_  
__This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. _The words repeated in her head but she couldn't resist the pull she'd felt for him. Finn was different. He was special.

And he was her co-star.

She looked outside of her window at the thick LA traffic, and leaned her head back against the soft, leather seats. The exhaustion of the day took hold of her, and she nodded off into a nap as well. In her slumber, she could not stop her body from slumping against Finn's in a light embrace.

* * *

Finn woke up from his nap and felt weight on top of him. He rubbed the thickness of sleep out of his eyes, and looked down to see what was up against him.

It was Rachel. His star.

She was sleeping, and seeing her face up close was further validation of her beauty. He placed a hesitant hand on the side of her face and his fingers tenderly brushed against the soft skin. It felt like silk under his fingertips. She had the shiniest, thickest hair he'd ever seen, and he leaned down to inhale the fragrance. It smelled like wildflowers.

She leaned into his body while still asleep, and he could feel her breasts pressing into his side. He started to panic. When was the last time he'd been this close to a girl? He was ashamed to admit he hadn't had a girlfriend in months, and hadn't been laid in almost as long. And Rachel was too gorgeous, too unattainable, to be pressing so close to him. He felt the need burn through him, and mentally scolded himself for thinking about Rachel that way. But he was a man, a grown man with needs, and she was slowly becoming his obsession.

So he continued to hold her while she slept. That way, he could imagine them vacationing on a tropical beach somewhere, in a place he couldn't pronounce, holding her like this as they sipped Margaritas. If he thought about that, he wouldn't have to think about how much he wanted to touch her silky skin, or hear her glorious voice call out his name. . .

The car finally started to pull off of the freeway, and Rachel woke up from her nap with Finn's arm wrapped around her waist. She turned around to look at him, and he couldn't disguise the lust in his eyes at their proximity. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she placed a hand on the side of his face. The simple act of her touching him made him forget his place in life. He was a nobody, and she was a star. But in the back of that town-car, they were Finn and Rachel.

And he wanted to kiss her. So he did.

It was soft at first. He leaned down to meet her face and she looked like she was torn between kissing him and pulling away. He made the decision for her, and placed his lips on hers in a soft caress. Her lips parted with a breathy sigh, and he took this opportunity to deepen the kiss and wrap his arm around her waist. She melted into his embrace, and he rejoiced when she reciprocated the kiss in earnest. He knew she'd felt it, too! They had a chemistry that they just couldn't deny!

Suddenly, the town-car stopped, and the two realized that they had finally reached Finn's hotel. Rachel broke apart from him, and he awkwardly gathered the script that had fallen onto the floor.

"So I'll see you in the morning, Ohio?" He wanted to say something to her about what had just happened, but she had put her sunglasses back on and he couldn't see her eyes. He sighed. He sure had a lot more to learn about Hollywood.

"Yeah. Have a good night, Broadway." He got out of the car and ran up to his hotel room as fast as he could. Literally, he ran up the stairs instead of taking the elevator to run off his excess energy. Kissing Rachel had been the icing on the cake of the best day of his life. As he called his mom to tell her the good news, all he could think of while he heard his mother screaming was that he was the lucky bastard who would get to see her tomorrow.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

The two co-stars have a chemistry they can't deny! What will happen when rehearsals start?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	5. Loosen Up

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . .nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are the property of Ryan Murphy and the actors are real people who have the best jobs in the world! Enjoy! :)

A/N: Things are moving fast for Finn and Rachel, and you know what that means? **CITRUS ALERT**

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Five: Loosen-Up

* * *

At 6AM sharp, the hotel called Finn's room for his wake-up call. He shot out of bed and ran into the shower to prepare himself for his first day as an actor. He would be meeting the rest of the cast today, and he had memorized the script last night like it was the last thing he'd ever read.

He'd passed out way before Puck had returned. He'd seen his sleeping form in the bed next to him this morning, which meant only one thing.

He'd been asked to stay as well. Puck was in the cast, too.

When he got out of the shower, Puck was out of bed and packing away his things. When he noticed Finn, he grinned like a madman and ran up to him, giving him a strong handshake and a pat on the back.

"There he is! The man who made me a star!"

Finn shook his head. "No way, man. You killed in that reading."

"Yeah, only because he liked the way we looked together! I was cast as the friend, Mark." His face got deadly serious, and he clutched Finn's shoulder in a tight grip. "From now on, we're bros for life. Got it?" Finn nodded, and Puck playfully pushed him and continued to get ready. "Don't forget to pack all your shit. We have to check out this morning."

Oh crap. Last night was the final night of his reservation. Now he had to find a new place to live. An apartment. A permanent residence in LA. With 75 dollars to his name.

He predicted uncomfortable nights in his backseat, trying not to get leg cramps in the small space.

Ignoring the image of his tall body curled up in the fetal position in his backseat, he prepared himself for his first rehearsal. He wore his nicest polo after he realized that he would see Rachel again.

"So where were you last night, dude? I went to sleep pretty early, and I assumed you'd be exhausted."

"Nah, I went out with the two other people who'd been cast from the open auditions. They're meeting us downstairs. We went out to this bar where the drinks were all neon. I got trashed and hooked up with, like, three girls at once. It was hot."

He'd met some other cast members? "What were they like?"

"Well, one of them had this sick tattoo of bleeding roses going across her ribs, and one had this bitchin' tongue ring. . . "

"Not the chicks, dude. The other cast members."

"Oh. They were okay, I guess. One of them obviously plays for Team Fabulous and the other reminds me of the American Idol star who won the Oscar."

"Jennifer Hudson?"

"Yeah. Big, black, and sassy. I like me a thick lady every once and a while."

Finn grinned and quietly mused on his new friend and his taste for women. He obviously didn't discriminate. Puck replayed the night to Finn as they left their hotel room for the final time, and checked out while waiting for their cast-mates. Finn got his car from the valet, and parked it a few blocks away from the hotel, throwing his stuff inside. He would figure out the logistics of his car later. When he went back into the lobby, Finn could hear the sounds of two people, arguing loudly.

"You are trying to tell me that you don't like the song _Telephone_. Are you serious? It's Lady Gaga and Beyonce, where is there a problem?" A small, thin guy was waving his hands around in disbelief.

"My problem is not the song. It's the video for the song. It has nothing to do with the lyrics and there's not enough Bey-Bey in it." A full-figured girl rolled her eyes at the boy with her hands firmly on her hips.

"She only sings one verse! The video is an allegory for the decline of American culture! Gaga is a genius!"

"She looks like a tranny!"

"Finn! This is Mercedes and Kurt." Puck called to him from across the lobby and he walked up to him and the two strangers. He immediately felt under-dressed. These two people looked like they were headed out for a night on the town. He needed to get better clothes. "This is my boy I was telling you about, Finn Hudson. The star of our little gay show that could."

"Nice to meet you." He shook their hands and they headed out to the car that was taking them to rehearsal. He could totally get used to cars just showing up for him when he had to be somewhere important. On the way to the lot, Kurt turned to Finn to make conversation.

"So, have you met anyone else in the cast?"

"Yeah, actually, I met my co-star. Rachel Berry."

Mercedes whipped her head around at the mention of the starlet's name, and Kurt looked stunned.

"You've met her? What was she like? Is she as bad as everyone says she is?"

"Bad? What do you mean?" How could anyone think Rachel berry was _bad_? She was beautiful and kind and had the voice of an angel. . .

Mercedes scoffed. "Oh honey. I heard that girl is a diva in the _worst_ way. You're saying she didn't chew your novice ass up and spit you back out again?"

He shook his head wildly, almost flailing his arms in her defense. "No way! She was totally nice to me. I spent a lot of time with her yesterday. She hooked me up with an agent and everything!"

Mercedes, Puck and Kurt all shared a similar look of disbelief. Kurt shook his head. "Then she probably has a thing for you. And who wouldn't? _Meow_." Kurt winked at him and Mercedes howled with laughter. He laughed, a bit nervously, and Puck rolled his eyes.

When the car pulled into the lot, he prepared himself for the pressures of the day. The second he walked into the building with his other cast members, he was immediately greeted by Ryan and Brad, the executive producers.

"C'mon guys, follow me. We have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Rachel was exhausted after a long day of script reading and schedule planning. All she wanted to do was go back to her hotel room, curl into her bathtub filled with soft, luxurious bubbles, and sing the Wicked soundtrack until her fingers looked like prunes.

But a certain charming co-star of hers would not let her leave without a fight.

"Please Rachel? Please, please, _please_?" His hands were clasped in front of him in a pleading gesture, and his lower lip was turned out in the most adorable pout she had ever laid her eyes on. That look was doing serious damage to her self-control.

"No, Finn. It's really not my thing." That was one hell of an understatement. The read-through had been over for almost a half an hour, and the entire cast wanted to go out to a restaurant, then a club, to celebrate the show. She had refused, and the rest of the cast had been ready to leave without her. But Finn hadn't allowed them to go without Rachel. He was holding up the entire group while talking her into going. "I'm not. . .good with people." She hung her head down, ashamed of her lack of social skills. "People just don't like me."

"I like you." He said it without a moment's hesitation, and her head shot back up with wide, doubtful eyes. "You were good to me. You made friends with a nobody like me yesterday."

"That was different."

"Oh really? How?" She hung her head back down again and he sighed deeply. "You have to loosen up, Rachel. This cast, these people, are going to be like a family to us for the next few weeks. And if the show gets picked up, we'll be together for much longer than that. Do you really want their first impression of you to be so negative? Please come out. For me?"

She looked up into his soft, brown eyes and wondered how he could have such an effect on her after knowing him for so little time. He had this power over her that she didn't understand.

And it scared her and excited her all at the same time.

So instead of retreating to her hotel room for another night alone, she went out with her new cast mates.

And it had been one of the best nights of her life.

They were all so unique and funny! She couldn't believe the conversations they'd had at dinner. She'd kept her mouth shut the entire time, not wanting to ruin the evening by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She drank liberally, something she hadn't allowed herself to do in a long while. But she'd deemed it appropriate because they were all celebrating. She was all laughs and smiles, and it felt good to be out with people. She looked over at Finn, who had been attached to her hip all evening long. She leaned into him a bit, and he looked down at her and smiled.

"Thank you for talking me into this."

Chuckling, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed the bare skin that shivered under his touch. She knew it had been a good idea to change into this strapless dress before dinner. "I knew you'd have fun. It wouldn't be the same without you." He gave her a glowing smile, and she leaned into him even more, the alcohol making her limbs feel heavy.

"Getting cozy over there, you two?" She heard someone yell across the table but was too sleepy to care. She could feel Finn's chest vibrate with the sound of his laughter.

"Nah, I think Broadway over here has had too much wine. People as tiny as her shouldn't drink."

She lifted up her head and gave him a heavy drunk glare. "Hey, watch it, Ohio. Do they put growth hormones in the corn there or something?"

She was stunned when her quip got a round of laughter and she smiled brightly at the response. She had never told a joke before that had gotten a laugh!

Ryan paid the tab for the dinner, and the cast was ready to go out to the club. Rachel didn't think she would be able to make it through a night out. She was already pretty tipsy, and she had never even stepped foot in a club before. She wasn't ready to be that adventurous, yet. She had done enough socializing for one night.

"Finn?" She was still leaning against him, and she lifted her heavy head to look up at him. The fatigue was thick in her voice and she felt like she would pass out at any second. Wine always made her so damn tired!

"What's the matter, Rachel?"

"I don't think I'll make it to the club. Actually, I don't think I'll make it out of the restaurant." She punctuated the last sentence with a wide yawn, and Finn nodded his head.

"OK. I'll get you back to the hotel."

"Really?" She was thinking that he'd just call her a taxi, not serve as a personal escort. He should go and have fun with everyone! "Don't you want to go out with the cast?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Clubs aren't really my thing. Dinner was amazing, but I only would have gone to the club if you did. Come on, let's get you home." He helped lift her out of her seat, and steadied her on her feet. He wrapped a strong arm around her waist and guided her out of the restaurant after saying goodbye to the cast.

They walked a few blocks away, where she noticed a beat-up, black Honda Civic, parked a few blocks from where his hotel had been. He helped her get into the car, and balanced a map on his lap while he navigated through LA to get to her hotel.

She was so tired, but all she wanted to do was kiss him. She'd only known him for a day, but was blown away by his kind and genuine heart. She didn't think nice guys like him existed in this world anymore. He was like an alien from Planet Adorable.

The car ride was doing her good. She didn't feel so overwhelmingly tired anymore, but she was still pretty groggy. "So where are you living now? Have you found a place?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "You're in it. My humble abode until I can cash this stipend check and find a place to live."

"You're going to live in your car?" Horror laced her tone and she couldn't think of anything more uncouth and savage.

"I've done it before. I drove to LA from Lima and slept in here every night. Not to mention the road trip I went on with my cousin when I was eighteen. We drove to the state boarder, then turned around when we'd realized we had no money and no place to go." He said it with such enthusiasm she had to smile. She had a solution for him, at least for tonight.

"You can stay the night in my hotel room if you want." Her suggestion hung thick in the air, and she saw the stunned look on his face in the glow of his dashboard lights. She knew what he was thinking about. The two of them, alone in her hotel room. . .

She was thinking the same thing.

"All right." His voice was soft and low, and it made goose-bumps rise on her skin. He pulled in front of the hotel, and she almost threw a diva tantrum when the snotty valet tried to refuse parking Finn's car. She pulled the "Do you know who I am?" line, and it had worked. She grabbed Finn's hand and kept him close to her, hating that he had to be exposed to their judgment. She pulled him to the elevator, and when the doors closed, she pulled him down to meet his lips in a hungry kiss.

"C'mon, Ohio. Let's get to bed."

* * *

Finn held Rachel tightly in his arms, losing himself in the feeling of her petite frame against his chest. Their lips mashed together in a fevered kiss that left him craving more. When the elevator opened on her floor, the two actors sprinted to the hotel room. Finn was faster, and Rachel jumped on his back and had him carry her to her room. He didn't mind. In fact, the feeling of her back pressed up against him was making him excited for what was to come when they got to the room. She handed him her key, and he opened the door and led them inside.

He was in awe of his surroundings. He didn't know a hotel room could be more than one room. This place was like her own apartment. She grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom, where a large and luxurious king sized bed was waiting for them. She started to unzip the side of her dress, and he began to panic. He placed one hand on each of her arms and he could see the questions in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Are you sure about this Rachel? You're not drunk, right?" She laughed and placed another soft and seductive kiss on his lips.

"I am not drunk Finn. I do want this, but," Oh shit, there's a _but_! Here it comes! "You know we can't tell anyone about this, right?" He felt like his heart was breaking a little bit. Then he remembered that he was in Hollywood now, and people hid things all the time.

"Because of the show?"

She nodded her head sadly. "We could ruin everything before the show even starts." He hung his head in shame. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. "But I can't deny that I want you, Finn." She placed a hand on his chest and he sucked in a sharp breath when it trailed below his belt and rested on the obvious bulge in his pants. "If we can keep it a secret, we can really do this."

The proximity of her was making him dizzy, and her hand on his groin was not helping him make rational, coherent thoughts. But he knew what he was doing. He could keep it a secret. He would do anything to touch her; to have her touch him. His star.

"Yes. God, Rachel, I'll do anything. I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell anyone."

"You'll do it for me?" She rubbed him gently, outside of his pants. Her actions betrayed the innocence in her voice. She was teasing him, taunting him with tests of devotion to her. He almost whimpered, and arched his hips into her hand.

"Yes." He devoured her mouth in a needy kiss that swallowed the sound of his moans. He pushed down the rest of the zipper on her dress that was probably more expensive than his car, and he let the fabric fall off of her into a pile on the floor. He soaked in the image of her glowing flesh in the dim light of the room, and immediately swept her into his arms and dropped her onto the bed. He reached into his wallet to grab his spare condom, and dropped his pants as fast as he could. As he was slipping on the latex sheath, he couldn't believe he was going to have sex with the most beautiful, talented celebrity he'd ever laid eyes on. It was like a dream.

He entered her slowly, trying to savor the moment. He would remember the feeling of her wrapped around him for the rest of his life. It had been so long since he'd been with a woman, and the girl in his arms was more beautiful than anyone he'd ever been with. He began to pull in and out of her, creating a rhythm that set his blood on fire. He held onto her tightly as she met his thrusts with as much vigor as him. Their lips battled for dominance in a passionate kiss and he lost himself in the feeling of her body. Plunging into her, he knew how dangerous this truly was to their professional relationship, but he didn't care. All he cared about was her moans, and her desperate cries for more.

His name was on her lips when she came, and he felt his release coming not long after. He closed his eyes, and millions of stars erupted behind his eyelids while his body seized with pleasure. He pulled out and slumped next to her on the bed, holding her body as close to his as possible.

"That was. . .wow." His brain was too fuzzy with the aftershocks of his orgasm to make coherent statements. He heard her giggle and she nuzzled closer to him.

"Yeah. I thought so, too."

"And you think we can really do this, if we keep it a secret?"

She turned to him, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I hope so. I just don't want to hurt you. That's the last thing I ever want to do to you."

"What does that mean?"

She shook her head sadly, and stood up to go to the bathroom. He sat up and cleaned himself off. When she came back, he took her into his arms and they relaxed into the comfortable bed.

"It means that you can never trust Hollywood, Finn. You can't get hurt If I deny our relationship, and people will sell your secrets for any amount of money. If we're going to do this, you have to do everything I say." He was starting to understand. Love in Hollywood was a game. And he had to play by their rules. He yawned and nodded his head, while she curled into his embrace, starting to drift off.

"Get some sleep, Ohio. We have dance rehearsals all day tomorrow."

His eyes shot open in shock while Rachel fell into a deep sleep.

Dance?

_Oh no_.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

OOH RACY! I love secret relationships! Don't you?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	6. Let's Dance

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: The secret love affair has begun! So has dance rehearsals! I have a feeling that this is going to be a very long story. I think you're in for quite a ride.

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Six: Let's Dance

* * *

When Finn opened his eyes the next morning, he had to shake off the disconcerting feeling of not recognizing his surroundings. When he tried to sit up, he realized that a naked, lithe body was draped over him, and the events of last night came back to him in a flash of memory.

_I slept with her. I slept with Rachel._

He stroked the naked skin on her back, and remembered the way it felt to hold her body under him. He reveled in the memories of her breathy sighs and the call of his name on her lips. She had been _his_ last night.

And if he kept it a secret, she could be his forever.

He looked outside the hotel window, and barely noticed the sun peeking over the horizon. It was still dreadfully early, but he was going to take advantage of a shower as long as he had one. Trying to move Rachel's sleeping form off of his body, he cursed under his breath when she started to stir.

"Finn?" She called out his name sleepily and she tried to hold onto him tighter, not wanting him to get out of bed. "What time is it?"

He turned to the little clock next to the bed. "It's a little after six. Go back to sleep, I was going to take a shower."

"Mm-hmm." Was her tired reply, and he got up and showered. While standing under the hot water, he replayed the events of last night over in his head, and knew that he had to keep it a secret at all costs. Rachel had said that they could ruin everything with their relationship, but he didn't want to stop. She had this power over him that he couldn't control, and he couldn't get enough of her. When he got out of the shower, Rachel was already up and getting ready. He walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her from behind, placing soft kisses down the expanse of her exposed neck.

"Good Morning." His voice was still gravelly with sleep, and she giggled as his lips tickled her sensitive skin.

"Good Morning, Ohio." She turned around in her arms and immediately molded her body to his. She was still naked, and he only had a towel wrapped around his hips. He so desperately wanted to bring her back to bed. He wanted to repeat what they had done last night over and over again. . .

But a loud phone call interrupted their kiss, and Rachel ran to the nightstand to answer it.

"It was my wake-up call. You need to get out of here soon." He couldn't deny the sharp sting of disappointment he felt at her dismissal, but he knew this was how it was going to be from now on. He had promised to play by her rules. She had the power in this relationship.

"What should I do?"

She gathered her things for a shower and kissed him softly on the lips. "I will call the valet and tell him to drive your car around to the basement entrance. Make sure you give him this tip." She went to her purse and handed him a 50$ bill. He looked at her incredulously. 50 dollars was almost as much money as he had in his pocket, and she was giving it away as a tip? His quasi-girlfriend was loaded! He needed to cash his stipend check right away!

"Okay." He hesitated for a second when he saw that she was rushing to get ready, but he had to ask her. He had to know. "Can we meet up again, tonight?" She looked at him with hesitation in her eyes. He knew he was pushing his luck, but he had to know if he could see her again. "I mean, we both know I still won't be able to find an apartment by tonight, and I can call the valet myself in the morning, you don't have to worry about it. . ." He started to ramble nervously, hoping he wasn't being a complete dork and ruining the fun time they had the night before by trying to make plans with her two nights in a row.

But she just allowed a slow smile to creep onto her face until she revealed a perfect set of shiny, white teeth. He could see the beginnings of a blush, and she nodded her head softly while their eyes stayed locked together. "Yeah, I would like that. You're going to be exhausted after today, you'll need a good bed to sleep on."

Amazed that she'd agreed, he just grinned like a fool and replied, "Okay." He threw on his clothes from the night before and headed for the door while Rachel ordered the valet to bring his car around to the back. He was about to head out of the door, when Rachel called him back, abruptly.

"Finn, wait!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring his face down to her level. She kissed him greedily, trying to get as much of him as she could from one little kiss. "I won't be able to do that all day." She said with a sexy pout. "Remember, no flirting today. AT ALL. We have to be professionals, and this dance rehearsal is crucial. We have to treat each other like we'd treat any other cast-mate. Deal?"

He nodded his head furiously. "Deal. I promise. No flirting."

She smiled and poked him on the nose, affectionately. "Good. Now don't forget to tip the guy. And try to be smooth about it, like you do it all the time. People will think you're as famous as you act, Finn. You've got to act the part of a celebrity in order to project the image to others." She straightened out his collar and placed a final kiss on his willing lips. "Have a good day, Ohio."

"See you later, Broadway." He walked out of her hotel room and went down to the basement to meet the valet. When he saw the guy, he shook his hand and slipped the fifty into the guys fist. He took one look at the tip, then at Finn, who was standing there with his arms crossed and his head held high.

The valet squeaked out "Thank you, sir!" and opened the door for Finn. When he was pulling away, he dropped the act, and laughed at the advice Rachel had given him. It'd worked! He could get used to a life like this.

He pulled into a Starbucks and changed his clothes in the parking lot behind the store. Checking his watch, he still had over an hour before he had to be at dance rehearsals. He went inside the coffee shop, and ordered the drink with the most caffeine in it. He was going to need it today. He bought a newspaper and sat in the back of the shop, drinking his coffee and searching for apartments in the LA area. He almost spit out the drink when he saw the prices on some of the listings.

If this _Glee_ thing didn't work out, he was going to end up a bum on the streets, stipend or no stipend.

* * *

"AND FIVE-SIX-SEVEN-EIGHT!" Their choreographer, Zach, clapped his hands in time to the beat as Finn walked forward and reached out to grab Rachel's waist in a twirl.

He missed her waist and grabbed her boob instead. Then he tripped over his feet and fell flat on his face, almost bringing Rachel down with him.

"Finn!" Rachel yelled, annoyed. They had been in the dance studio for almost a full eight hours and to say Rachel was tired was an understatement. She guessed that Finn hadn't done this much physical exertion in a while, and a guy with his body type was definitely not made for dance. He was trying, but it was starting to grate her nerves. She wanted to be sympathetic, but she had to treat him like she would treat any other cast-mate. Plus, her diva rage was flaring. "What is the matter with you? We have been doing these steps all day long and you can barely walk across the stage without tripping!" Standing across from him with her hands crossed over her chest and a severe frown on her face, she wouldn't allow the group to continue. "You need to step up! This is the big leagues now, Ohio." He looked at her, offended, and she reminded herself that she was supposed to treat him like everyone else.

Zach and the rest of the cast were staring at Finn sympathetically while Rachel continued to chew her secret lover out. She started to rant on and on about professionalism and dedication, forgetting who she was talking to. When she looked over at him again, his normally soft features were hardened in anger, and she realized she had gone too far.

"Excuse me, Rachel. I'm sorry if you think I'm not trying hard enough, but you're wrong. I have never danced a day in my life before today, and I have been spending the past eight hours trying to get my feet to move where I want it. It's a little hard when you have a right knee that's so busted, it pops and aches like an old man's!" Gasping in shock, she immediately felt like a bitch for chewing him out over something he obviously couldn't control. She hadn't known he had a busted knee.

In fact, she didn't know a lot about him. She had to keep reminding herself that she didn't even know him before yesterday. How come it felt like they had known each other for so much longer?

The anger melted away from Rachel's face, and Zach walked up to Finn and felt the knee. "Is it bad, man? I'll have to get you a brace." Zach pulled Finn away from the dance floor and Rachel crossed her hands over her chest in a huff. Finn sat down on a chair while Zach called someone for a gauze wrap and a knee brace. Rachel went to the other corner to sulk quietly. Feeling the burn of regret pulse through her at her outburst, she stole glances of Finn with Zach in the corner. He was getting his knee wrapped, and when he caught her eye he turned away quickly. She felt her heart seize in her chest.

He was mad at her.

Feeling tears welling up in her eyes, she felt foolish for acting like a diva in front of him. Would he still see her as his Broadway? Would he still come over tonight and kiss her like she was the most precious thing in the world? Had she ruined the best relationship of her life before it had even started?

Finn stood up and walked around the dance floor with his knee brace on. He nodded his head to Zach and waited for Rachel to come back on the dance floor. She tried to talk to him, but he walked to his position to start the dance over again. She frowned and took her place.

"FIVE-SIX-SEVEN-EIGHT!" The clapping commenced and Finn and Rachel walked forward until their right arms hooked around the other's waists. They moved their bodies around the other in a tight twirl, and the rest of the cast walked forward on the beat to meet them in the middle of the dance floor. "Perfect!" Rachel heard Zach yelling from the sides, but she didn't turn to look at him. Her eyes were glued to Finn's face, who still hadn't made eye contact with her yet.

Zach had kept them for another two hours, making their first dance rehearsal a whopping ten hours long. Finn had really stepped up despite the pain in his knee, which made Rachel feel like a stuck-up fool. After Zach had dismissed them, Rachel gathered her things together to leave. When she turned to look for Finn, he was already gone. Alone in the dance studio, she allowed the tears that she'd been holding in to fall. She just wasn't good with people, even the ones she liked.

She wiped away her tears and walked out of the dance studio, not looking forward to a night alone.

Luckily, she saw a busted up Honda Civic still in the parking lot, and a tall figure moving around in the front seat. Wiping away all the moisture from her face, she knew she had some apologizing to do.

* * *

Finn was in agony. Every part of his body hurt, especially his knee, and all he wanted was a hot shower and a nice bed.

He cursed when his right arm hit into his gear shift. Sleeping in his car was going to suck.

Trying to get comfortable, he had to squash down the pain he felt from his throbbing knee. He knew this dancing thing was going to be a problem, and Zach had requested physical therapy for a few weeks to get the knee back into shape. Just another thing he needed his stipend money for.

He curled onto his side and wished that he was with Rachel, in her posh, luxurious hotel suite. But she'd really damaged his pride during the rehearsal today. He couldn't believe that she'd said half the things she did to him. Mercedes and Kurt had been right. She _was_ a diva.

_But she was my diva_. He sighed. He couldn't deny the fact that she looked adorable while reading him the riot act. And he had to admit she'd been right about what she'd said in regards to professionalism; but she didn't know about his knee! He was in actual pain, and she'd treated him like he was being a slacker on purpose. He knew that they were supposed to treat the other like they weren't dating, but she had to learn to drop the attitude.

He already felt like he was her lap-dog. She was not going to make him her bitch.

A knock on his window snapped him out of his thoughts and he prayed it wasn't a cop giving it a ticket for loitering. Instead, he locked eyes with the petite brunette woman of his thoughts, who was smiling at him timidly.

"Can I hop in?" Her voice was soft, and he could see her hang her head in the dim moonlight. He fixed his seat so he was sitting up, and he opened the side door for her to get in.

"What are you doing here?"

She twisted her fingers around in a nervous gesture and her voice was very low. She didn't look up at him. "I'm really sorry about what I said to you today. I didn't know about your knee." He could hear the sadness in her tone, and she started to get choked up a bit. "I know I said for us to treat the other like we weren't hooking up, but I got carried away. I know I need to work on my social skills, and I'm trying. I really am. Are you still mad at me?" In the dim glow of the moonlight, he could see a tear falling down her cheek. He leaned over his center console and gathered her into his arms.

"I'm not mad, Rachel. I'm disappointed. You hurt my feelings, but that wasn't the issue." He saw another tear fall, and he sighed deeply. "When I first met Mercedes and Kurt they told me that you had a bit of a reputation for being a diva. I didn't believe them because you had been so nice to me when we'd met. But then today at the rehearsal, I saw the validation of their claims, and it made me upset that people think of you that way. I want them to look at you and see what I see."

She sniffled loudly and tried in vain to wipe the flowing tears away. "What do you see?"

"I see a beautiful, talented girl who knows what she wants in life. . .who desperately needs friends." Her face crumpled in on itself and she collapsed into his embrace, crying into his shoulder and soaking his shirt with tears. He stroked her silky hair and placed a soft kiss on her head.

"You can have that, Rachel. You need to open up to people. Let them see what I see."

She nodded her head and lifted it off of his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Finn. I promise, I won't be a diva anymore." He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone to wipe away the errant tears that still escaped her eyes. Her lower lip trembled, and he leaned forward to capture it in a shaky kiss. "Can we go back to the hotel?"

He started the car and pulled out of the lot without hesitating for a second.

He had to work on that lap-dog thing.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

Finn has had a taste of Diva Rachel. Will she change for him?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . . Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	7. Party Down

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: Just as Rachel and Finn start to get comfy together, life gets in the way. . . **CITRUS ALERT**

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Seven: Party Down

* * *

After their first dance rehearsal, time started to move very fast for Finn and Rachel. They had started filming the pilot right away, and they'd been bouncing between the lot, the dance studio, and the recording studio at a break-neck pace. Sometimes they spent twelve to fourteen hour days together; other days they barely saw the other person.

But their nights always belonged to them. Finn would drive to Rachel's hotel and meet up with her to spend the night. In the mornings they made it seem like they carpooled together. At work they were all business, so no one had a reason to suspect anything.

The filming was going smoothly, for the most part. Rachel was still having problems with her diva behavior, and Finn had to remind her to keep her cool sometimes. They had filmed about half of the episode, when Finn found himself an apartment in LA. He decided to share it with Puck, in order to lower the cost of rent and utilities. He had finally cashed his stipend check, and used half of it for rent, and the other half for new clothes, furniture, and Anti-Inflammatory meds for his knee. It had been feeling much better after he got the pills, and he had been improving at dance rehearsals.

Living with Puck was a bit of a challenge, seeing as his bedroom served as a revolving door for women. But Finn wasn't around much at night, so he barely had to deal with it. The apartment was small, and it wasn't in the best part of LA, but it was all they could afford. He wished he could bring Rachel over for a date. They didn't have a dining room; hell, they barely had pots and pans, but he wanted to do something special for her. It would probably have to wait until filming was done. Maybe he would splurge and take her out to a restaurant.

One evening, after a long day of filming and recording in the studio, Rachel and Finn were collapsed on her hotel bed together, a tangle of limbs and a flurry of kisses. He pulled back from her and stroked her hair away of her face so he could look into her eyes.

"How come you haven't found a place in LA, yet? Shooting ends this Friday." Her eyes widened, and he could tell that he'd caught her off guard with the question. She looked away from him, and bit her lip in worry.

"Finn. . ." She took a deep breath and his heart started to pound ferociously. He didn't like the way she was avoiding looking at him. "My life is in New York." He froze with his hands on her face, his fingers resting on her silky skin.

"What?"

"I have an apartment in New York, and a career. If the pilot doesn't get picked up, I'm going to have to move back there. I haven't found a permanent place because I don't know if I'm going to stay."

He had to remind himself to breathe in that moment; the reality of their situation had crashed around him and his heart ached to think that she would leave to go back to New York with him in LA.

"But what about us?" _I sound pathetic_, he thought to himself. He was practically whimpering and he felt like a kicked puppy. She cuddled closer to him and kissed him deeply. It barely assuaged his fears.

"I don't know, but we can't think of that now." He nodded his head and tried to block out the idea that he'd be stuck in LA without her. "There's something else I have to tell you about New York."

Uh-oh. He had a bad feeling about this.

"When the filming ends on Friday, I have to go back. I'd been asked to fill in for a role for three weeks in this play, and I'd said yes before even coming here. I can't get out of it now. If the pilot gets picked up, I'll come back. But If it doesn't, I'll be staying in New York for good."

He pulled away from her in shock and sat up in bed, rubbing his hands over his face in disbelief. "You're leaving in two days and you might not come back?"

"I'm so sorry Finn!"

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I didn't know how to tell you without hurting you. I don't want to go, but I have to." She crawled over to him and he tried in vain to avoid looking at her face. Unfortunately for him, her beauty always had the power to disarm him, and he lost himself in the depths of her chocolate brown eyes. "And if the show gets picked up, someone has to clean out all my stuff and pack away all my clothes and shoes. . ." She left the sentence in the air, and his spirits had almost been lifted.

"You'll move to LA if the show gets picked up?" He hated sounding so vulnerable. She had him wrapped around her finger in the _worst_ way. Placing a soft kiss on her lips, he couldn't stop himself from grabbing her into his arms and holding her for dear life. "You promise?"

Placing her lips over his in a soft caress, she whispered into his mouth, "I promise."

He groaned as their lips mashed together in a passionate kiss that left him blazing with need. He lifted her up into his arms and laid her back down onto the sheets; softly, delicately, as if she could break. Hungrily, he explored her mouth, parting her lips and slipping his tongue inside to taste every part of her. She mewled in pleasure when he dipped his hands under her blouse and removed her bra, caressing the satiny smooth skin of her breasts. He fondled her while she reached over to free him from his boxers, and he pulsed and throbbed with need while she stroked him into a frenzy.

His breathing was shallow while her hands caressed him. Removing her hands from him, he pushed her down onto the bed, trapping her under his large frame. She looked up at him with lust blazing in her eyes, and he marveled at the vision of her underneath him. He would never get tired of seeing her like this. He put on a condom while she laid underneath him, shaking with want. As he slipped into her, feeling her tightness around him, he knew in his heart that never wanted their affair to stop. While pounding into her, it was easy to forget that she had her own life in New York. A life that had nothing to do with small-town boys from Ohio. But, while he was inside of her and she was surrounding him, it was easier to believe the world revolved around Finn and Rachel, and no one else.

Looking down at her from his position, he felt his heart seize in his chest when he thought about a life in LA without her. How could he live knowing what it was like to touch her, to feel her? What would happen to him in this vicious town without her guidance and advice?

She cried out his name and he saw a look of pure adoration cross over her features. She looked up at him with hooded eyes as she continued to moan and writhe underneath him. She was so beautiful it made his heart hurt. In that very moment, he knew he was in love with her.

And he had to say goodbye to her in two days. Maybe for forever.

She screamed his name once more, and he felt her clench around him in an action that pushed him over the edge as well. He spilled into the condom, but didn't want to pull out of her. He didn't want to lose the connection he felt with her at that very moment. He wanted to stay a part of her forever and never let her go.

But he pulled out of her anyway, and went straight to the bathroom to hide the fact that he was pretty much crying like a pussy. Sex had never made him cry before, ever, but this time it had been different.

He'd never been in love with someone who was going to leave him in 48 hours.

* * *

Rachel watched in confusion as Finn pulled out of her and went straight for the bathroom. He normally wasn't like that; he was an affectionate cuddler after sex, something she loved more than anything. She sat up and wrapped her robe around her, waiting for him to return. She sighed. She could tell he was upset about her leaving. She knew she was going to wind up hurting this poor boy.

It's not like she wanted to leave! She had made the deal to understudy this role right before she had left for LA. How was she supposed to have known that she would meet the most adorable, vulnerable, genuine guy she'd ever laid eyes on. Things like that just didn't happen to her.

No matter what, she had to leave. Whether or not she was coming back was up to the network heads who decided on the pilots. If Glee was picked up, she'd be gone for three weeks.

If it didn't get picked up, their affair would have to end for good.

She felt her heart clenching in her chest at the thought of breaking it off with Finn. She had become quite attached to him over the past few weeks, and she could feel herself falling deeper and deeper for him with every day that passed.

He was upset. But she was hurting, too.

He came back to bed after a little while. His eyes were red, and they looked puffy. Realizing that he'd been crying, she pulled him towards her in a tight embrace. He buried his face in her naked chest and cried. She kissed him on the forehead and cried even harder.

The next two days passed by so fast she could barely remember what had happened. She needed to end their time together on a positive note, no matter what happened to them in the future.

So she decided to have a cast party in her hotel room on the final night of shooting. She had hired the hotel staff to accommodate the room with food and drinks, and she asked the whole cast and crew to attend. She rented a karaoke machine, and had a party crew come in and make her posh hotel suite look like a dance club.

To say that Finn was shocked was an understatement.

"You turned your hotel room into a dance club? Rachel, you said you hated clubs! And dance music. And glow-sticks."

She shook her head with a smile. "I never said I hated clubs, I said I have never been out to a club. This time, I brought the club to me. If I come back," She couldn't ignore the wince on Finn's face when she'd said 'if', "you can bring me to my first real club."

He shook his head in disbelief, "Rachel, why are you doing this?"

She shrugged and continued to set up her room for the party. "I wanted our last night together to be something we'd remember. And I wanted the cast to be here, so I'll always remember the time when I had everything. Friends, a good job," she hesitated and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, "someone who loved me." She let the words hang in the air. They hadn't ever said the 'l' word before. Hell, they had never even referred to the other as a boyfriend/girlfriend before tonight. But there was no tomorrow for them. She had nothing to lose. She felt him come up behind her, and he wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, holding her close to him.

"You know it's true, right?" He never said the word, but she knew what he'd meant. She nodded. "I do, Rachel, I l-" She turned around quickly and covered his mouth with her hand, not allowing him to say the word she so desperately wanted to hear. She couldn't bear to hear him say it, not before she was leaving.

"I know, Finn, I know." She took deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. He looked down at her with questions burning behind his eyes.

"Do you feel it, too?"

"Yes." Was all she said, and it felt like the air had grown thick around them. She could barely breathe as he stared at her, and she was about to meet his lips in a blazing kiss when she got a knock on her hotel door. She answered it, and hotel associates came in and stocked the room full of alcohol and food. Finn was distracted by the preparation for the party, and Rachel readied herself to become the best hostess any cast party would ever have.

* * *

"Drink!" Rachel screamed as the little ball landed into the half-filled cup of beer. Finn lifted the ball out of the cup and raised it to his lips, downing the bitter liquid in one huge gulp. He could have sworn she was cheating somehow. He had been the Lima Beer Pong Champion of his high school class, and he was losing to a 100-pound girl who had never played before in her life! How could she be so good at everything?

The glowing smile on her face warmed his heart to no end. The party was wonderful. Everyone in the cast had shown up, even though they'd been surprised it'd been Rachel who'd decided to throw the party. But they had all made it, and he knew that Rachel was feeling pretty good about herself.

He wished he could say the same thing.

Finn felt terrible, and the fact that this was the last time he might ever see Rachel was the reason he hadn't drunk himself into a coma already. But he would not allow himself to get wasted and miss a second with her. She had thrown this party with him in mind, and he wanted to make this night just as memorable for her as it was for him.

He placed the empty cup down on the table, and readied the ping-pong ball for an offensive attack. Rachel squeaked in delight when the ball bounced off of the rim of the cup, and he laughed when she chased after it. He sighed. They had basically confessed their love for each other, not even three hours ago, and she would be on a plane in about six more. He'd spent the last two days asking Ryan questions about the pilot-screening process and their chances for getting picked up. Ryan had said it was a difficult process, and mentioned that he'd been through three other pilots before _Glee_ since _Nip/Tuck_. That made him more than a little nervous. He was starting to lose hope he'd ever see her again after tonight.

He wanted to say the words to her, though. _I love you_. She hadn't allowed him to say it before, and now that she knew how he felt, all he wanted to do was scream it from the mountaintops. But what good would it serve now? It's not like she would stay.

The party continued on into the early hours of the morning, and Rachel had to catch her flight at 6AM. He wasn't staying the night. He would have to say goodbye now, once the other guests left.

Luckily for him, Puck had left the party with some girls from the crew, and he didn't have to worry about bringing him home. He waited until every guest had left, and Rachel had basically collapsed into his arms in exhaustion.

"You want me to bring you to bed? You might be able to get a two hour nap in before your car picks you up."

"Nah, I have to pack anyway. I have a lot of stuff."

"Yeah." An awkward silence filled the air, and he held her body tighter to his, not wanting to let her go.

"I'll call you, you know?" He looked down at her and her eyes were filled with hope.

"Rachel, I-" He wanted to tell her he loved her. He hoped that if he said it, she would give up on New York and live in his crappy apartment with him and Puck, playing guitar hero and drinking beer. Then he remembered that, _Glee_ or no _Glee_, he was still a small town Ohio boy. And she was still a Broadway star. "I'm going to miss you, so much."

She nodded her head and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Me too."

He gathered his things and she walked him to the door. He embraced her in a final crushing hug, and took a good long look at her, soaking in all of her beauty so he could burn it into his brain.

"Goodbye, Ohio." He felt like his heart was being crushed in his chest, but he forced a smile onto his face for her benefit, and choked out the only goodbye he could think of.

"See you, Broadway."

* * *

Salut mes amis!

Rachel has gone back to New York! Will Glee get picked up? What will happen if the lovers are reunited?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	8. Call Me

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: Finn is going through the motions without Rachel in LA. . .will she ever come back?

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Eight: Call Me

* * *

"But Herman, please, you have to have her home phone number or something. She hasn't called me back in days." Days was an understatement, he hadn't had a conversation with Rachel since the day she left almost three weeks ago. He was starting to get desperate. "I can't believe I have to go through my agent to talk to my g-, co-star." Shit! He'd almost said girlfriend in front of Herman!

"Bubbelah, she is killing in her understudy role! She's been so busy with rehearsals and shows and, oy, the auditions! Once people heard she was headlining the new FOX show, everyone wants a piece of her now. As for you, I think I can get you a walk-on role on 90210, how would you like that?" Finn ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He didn't want to audition for anything, he wanted _Glee_ to get picked up so Rachel would come back. But his stipend money was running out, fast, and he needed to find a quick job to make rent money if _Glee_ didn't go through.

"OK Herman, send me the script." Sighing deeply, he was starting to lose hope he would ever see Rachel again. "And if you see Rachel, please, tell her to call me."

"You got it, babe." Herman unceremoniously hung up on Finn without another word. Finn wanted to throw his phone against the wall in rage. Where the fuck was Rachel? She had promised to call him!

_She also promised to move to LA for you_, he thought bitterly to himself, _and you believed her like the naive ass you are._

He slumped down onto the couch and laid there, dejected, until Puck walked into the apartment with groceries.

"Dude, you still haven't talked to Jazz Hands yet?" Puck was the only person in the world who knew about Finn and Rachel. The day after she'd left, Finn had spent the afternoon in his underwear, drinking whiskey and playing Guitar Hero until he was hallucinating being on set with Rachel. Puck had been a witness to Finn making out with a pillow called "Broadway," and that had been it. He'd confessed to Puck about their whole affair, and Puck had been impressed he'd been able to hide it so well. The only reason Puck hadn't told anyone, came down to a little piece of blackmail that Finn had gathered on Puck.

One morning, Finn woke up after passing out on the couch, and noticed that one of the "hot chicks" Puck had picked up, wasn't exactly a "hot chick" when s/he went to the bathroom with the door open, unaware of Finn's presence.

And he was pretty sure chicks didn't pee standing up.

So as long as Finn had that piece of info about Puck, their secret was safe. He felt better that Puck knew, actually. It was good to know that he had someone to talk to about this.

"She's never coming back, man. Our show is never going anywhere, and I'm going to be stuck in LA forever without her, cashing in bottles for food money, and staring in shitty walk-on roles until I die." He placed the couch pillow over his head and wished for the blissfulness of sleep. Or alcohol. Or both.

"Dude, what did you expect? She's a Broadway-fuckin'-star! She probably eats guys like you for breakfast in New York!" He wanted to scream at Puck and tell him that she was different, that she _loved_ him; but to him it all sounded lame. They'd never said the words. He'd been holding onto the hope that she actually was different than other celebrities, and that what they'd shared had been special. But he knew deep down that Puck was right. She was, and always will be, out of his league.

He was just a daydreamer from Ohio, who was plucked out of a corn-field and thrown into the lion's den.

She was a Broadway-trained actress, who had the talent to be the next Barbara Streisand.

Puck pulled out the groceries, and Finn threw a couch cushion at him when he realized what he'd bought with their dwindling food money. "What did I say about spending all the food money on beer?"

"Um, only buy domestic?"

"No, douche-bag, buy actual food with the money!" Puck looked offended.

"I did, see? Chips, dip, I got us some queso, we can have mexican!" Finn resisted the urge to roll his eyes and he sat up to play some video games. Puck came over with the chips and dip, and they spent the enitre afternoon pigging out on junk food and beer while wailing on each other at XBOX.

A few hours into their lazy day, Finn got a phone call, expecting it to be Herman again about the role.

"Herman, just email me the script, I'll check it out later."

He was surprised when a deep, booming, familiar voice responded. "Oh, Cory. . ."

Finn froze. Only one person was allowed to call him by his character's name. . .because he'd created it. . .

"Ryan!" Puck heard their boss' name and threw the controller down in shock. Puck hopped from the chair to the sofa, and pressed his ear against Finn's head so they could both hear the phone.

"Finn Hudson, my Cory, how are you?" Finn was so happy to hear Ryan's voice he thought his heart had stopped beating.

"I'm fine." He could barely choke out. "Been waiting on you, man." _Be casual, don't act like a freak._

"I know! Believe me, everyone has! But I bring good news! Very good news!" Puck and Finn both shared the same expectant look, waiting for the words they so desperately wanted to hear. . . "We got picked up! _Glee_ is a go!"

The two boys shot up off the couch and started screaming as loudly as possible. Puck stood up on the sofa and started to play air guitar, while Finn tried to keep his composure enough to hear what Ryan was saying.

"Be at the studio on Monday morning at 6. We start filming pick-ups for the pilot and the beginning of episode two. The pilot airs in a month, and after that, this summer is going to be wild. Get ready for the rides of your lives boys! It has begun!"  
Finn was still in such shock he almost forgot to ask the most important question.

"Is everyone coming back? Sue, Will. . .Rachel?" He named the other leads as well, to make it seem less obvious that he was on the lookout for Rachel. Ryan chuckled and the tension eased out of him.

"Yes, buddy, everyone had signed on. We'll all be back together on set on Monday. Have a great weekend."

"Thanks, you too!" Finn hung up the phone and Puck jumped off the couch and tackled Finn onto the ground in boyish excitement. They wrestled with each other, screaming "VICTORY," and when Puck held Finn in a sleeper hold, he thought of nothing but Rachel Berry as he blacked out on their apartment floor.

"Ah shit, now I have to lift his giant ass off the rug!"

* * *

Rachel Berry sat in make-up, backstage at the play she'd been working on since she left LA. She opened her phone and pressed the number three: her speed-dial number for Finn's cell phone. Before she pressed "send," she shut the phone again. She was such a coward.

How many times had she done that over the past few weeks? Dialing his number, then hanging up before calling. What was her problem?

At first, she had wanted nothing but to call him. Every second of every day, she thought of nothing but her Ohio boy, all alone and lost in LA without her. But when she got back to New York, she'd been overwhelmed with the response from the community over her role in the _Glee_ pilot. They thought her talent was now worthy of really good roles, and she would have been insane to have turned them down. But doing two shows a day, plus all the auditions and rehearsals. . .it was too much to keep up with. She hadn't called Finn at all in the beginning, even when she knew he'd called her.

She felt terrible.

Then she started to form a nervous complex about calling him. After a week or two, she was sure he was furious at her for not calling, so she didn't want to hear him be so mad at her. She still wasn't sure about _Glee_ being picked up, and she would die inside if she had to call him and tell him she wasn't coming back.

Maybe it was better this way. If she didn't call him, they could have a clean break. As much as she wanted the _Glee_ thing to work out, she was being realistic. Her life was still in New York.

Even though her heart was in LA.

Her phone rang, and she almost ignored it, thinking it was another audition she would have to suffer through. Luckily, she looked at the screen before ingoring it, and she realized it was a California number.

She didn't hesitiate another second to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Well, Hello, Lea. . ." Rachel's breath caught in her throat. Could it be. . .?

"Ryan!" She couldn't keep the jubilation out of her tone, even if she wanted to.

"Have you heard the good news yet?" _Good news? Oh, please, let this be happening. . . _

"I don't think so."

"We've been picked up, baby! You have to be in LA by 6AM Monday morning. Do you think you can tie up your loose ends in New York by then?" She was still in such shock, she almost didn't hear his question.

"Of course, Ryan. In fact, I have some loose ends to tie up right now. See you Monday."

She hung up the phone and almost jumped out of her make-up chair in excitement. She was going back to LA. Glee was actually happening.

She was going to see Finn again!

She felt like more than a fool now for never calling him. She would put an end to that foolishness right this second. Opening up her phone, she pressed the number three, hit send, and waited patiently to hear the voice that she'd missed more than anything.

"Yo, who dis be?" That was not the voice she was looking for.

She almost hung up the phone, thinking he'd changed his number or something. But the voice still sounded familiar, even if it wasn't Finn's. . .

"Puck? Is that you?" She heard him snort unceremoniously into the other end.

"Well if it isn't little Miss Broadway. You sure as hell waited long enough to call my boy. He's practically grown a pussy since you left him high and dry." Rachel was so speechless she struggled to find words. How did Puck know about them?

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just calling my co-star about the good news."

"Yeah right, Princess. I know everything. Don't get your panties in a twist, 'cause I ain't telling. Just wanted you to know how messed up it was to leave him hanging. I've never seen a guy this crazy about a girl before."

The pain and regret flowed through her like poison when she absorbed Puck's words. They were nasty, but they were true. She had left Finn hanging over her, for weeks, without a call or anything. She could only imagine how hurt he was.

"Um," She was never this timid, or this tongue-tied. But Puck's words intimidated her, and she was losing confidence. "Is he there? Can I talk to him?"

Puck scoffed. "Nah, he's passed out. The Guns o' Puckerone can do serious damage in a sleeper hold. He'll be out for, like, an hour."

She got an idea then. A brilliant idea, that required a partner-in-crime. . .

"I have an idea, Puck. And I need your help."

"Why should I help you? You made Finn's life hell for the past three weeks."

"Just listen to me! I have to make it up to him. When you hang up the phone, erase the call log. Never tell him that I called. On Saturday, make sure he's out of the house. I'll be there by dinner to surprise him. I'll call you for more details."

She could practically hear his eyes rolling on the other side of the phone. "I'm only doing this for Finn, you know that? He's too good a guy to deal with this Hollywood shit. I won't tell anyone about your little affair, but I will comment when necessary. See you Saturday."

They hung up without another word. Rachel got a manic glint in her eye and immediately jumped out of the make-up chair, running to take off her costume. On her way out, the Stage Manager rushed up to her in a frenzy.

"Rachel, what are you doing, the show is in 45 minutes!"

"Sorry, I have to go. I quit! Call the understudy." She had never been so happy while saying those words before. It was quite liberating.

"You ARE the understudy!" Rachel just laughed on her way out of the theatre. She didn't care.

She had an apartment to pack up. She was going to keep one of her promises to Finn if it killed her.

* * *

"Man, this is bullshit!" All Finn wanted to do was spend the afternoon inside with his beer and video games. Was that so much to ask? "What the hell am I supposed to do for three hours?"

"Dude, we live in LA. Not Kansas. Go find something to do. It's not that hard. Take a cab to the beach or something. I don't know, nor do I care. I'm having a lady friend over for some afternoon delight and you need to get the fuck out."

"Since when do you refer to your women as 'lady friends'?"

"This lady is special, and she doesn't know I share my apartment with Sasquatch. I need the apartment empty, just for today dude. Next time you have a date with a chick, you can have the apartment and I'll high-tail it."

Finn scoffed bitterly. Next time he has a date with a chick. . . He didn't want to date chicks, he wanted to date Rachel. Sighing heavily, he threw on his sneakers and grabbed his keys and wallet.

"You owe me big-time on this, dude."

"No doubt." He said it with a giant smirk and Finn stuck up the finger to him while he was walking out of the apartment.

The hot LA sun blared down on him, and the streets were packed with people. He walked a few blocks away, where there was a nice park, filled with kids and families and happy people on picnics.

It made him feel ill.

He found a shady spot in the park and plopped himself down onto the grass, losing himself in another daydream. This time, he and Rachel were at this very park; but they weren't the romantic couple picnicking, they were the happy couple pushing their kids on the swings.

He sighed. If only.  
_  
__48 more hours, Finn. And she'll be back. _The idea filled him with anxious energy, and he became jittery at the thought of seeing her again. Will she be happy to see him? Will they continue their affair? Will she break it off? Panic seized in his chest.

Had she found someone else?

That had to have been the reason for her lack of calls! She'd found someone else. It pretty much explained it all. Now they would have to work together, everyday, knowing that she belonged to another man. Probably another celebrity, someone who he couldn't hold a candle to. . .

He let the dark scenarios seep into his mind and poison him with jealousy and bitterness. The hot LA sun and the smiling people in the park did nothing to ease his troubles, and he found himself becoming more and more angry as the day went on.

When dinnertime rolled around, Finn was tired and cranky. All he wanted was a cold beer and his comfy couch so he could drink himself into a coma until Monday morning. He let himself into his apartment, and Puck was busy playing XBOX.

"What happened to your lady friend?" He said with a scowl.

"She bounced. A package came for you in the mail, I left it on your bed." Puck didn't even look away from the screen, and Finn purposely walked in front of the TV to mess up his game. He heard him scream while he walked to his room. "Asshole!"

Opening up the door, he first noticed a bunch of boxes scattered around the floor. What the hell kind of package did he get? He walked into his room, looking down to make sure he didn't trip, and when he looked at his bed to see what other packages he'd received, he froze.

Rachel was there. On his bed. In his room.

"Rachel?" He couldn't believe his eyes. They'd played tricks on him like this before. Normally he was under the influence of alcohol when it happened, but he'd still hallucinated her image before.

"Hey, Ohio." His hallucinations never talked before. And they never called him their special nick-name either. He bridged the gap between him and the bed in one huge step and pulled her body to him in a giant, crushing hug.

"Rachel!" He closed his eyes and held onto her body, remembering how snugly she fit in his large frame. He inhaled the scent of wildflowers and his heart soared. She was here. She was back.

All of his previous bitterness from the day had melted away. Yeah, she could have a boyfriend now. And she hadn't called him for weeks. She could have a million boyfriends now, but it didn't matter. She was here.

"You're here." He pulled away from her so he could look into her shining eyes. Her brilliant smile filled his heart with joy.

"I got the news from Ryan, and I left New York in record time!" He stroked her hair tenderly, brushing against the sides of her face. She leaned into his touch and he pulled her face up for a kiss that left them both lightheaded.

"How did you get in?"

Her smile became coy and she nodded her head towards the door. "Puck was my partner-in-crime. He helped me set this up." She pulled his face down to hers and he reveled in the feel of her lips on his. It had been so long. . .

"Why didn't you call me?" He didn't want to ask her this question. He didn't want to ruin their blissful reunion with bitterness and anger. But he couldn't help himself. He'd been so hurt; he needed to know. "Was it someone else?"

She shook her head furiously, and the regret was etched deep into the contours of her gorgeous face. "NO! No, Finn, It wasn't like that at all." She took a deep breath and she started to twirl her hair nervously. "Everything I say is going to sound so lame, but honestly, I couldn't bear to hear your voice when I wasn't sure I was going to come back. It would have been too much. I am so sorry. It's unacceptable, and I hope you'll forgive me." Her eyes were pleading him for forgiveness and his will-power crumbled under that look. Her eyes were like wrecking balls to his self-control.

Holding her body, feeling her curves under the palms of his hands, he knew that he could never hold grudges against this girl. She was his everything. He needed her.

"It's okay Rachel. We're together. It's all that matters."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and she laid her head against his chest to listen to the pounding of his heart. Her eyes closed as she leaned into him more. "Yeah."

"Can I say it now?" He looked down at her expectantly, hoping she would understand what he'd meant. Her head shot up off of his chest, and she nodded. He wasn't going to wait another second. "I love you, Rachel."

Saying those words was all the therapy he'd needed to heal his heart from the torture it'd been through the past three weeks. Once the words passed through his lips, he felt liberated, free.

He watched as the corners of her lips pulled her mouth up into the largest, most brightest smile he'd ever seen on her gorgeous face. She held onto him tighter, and he noticed a small tear leaving a watery track down her face. He caught the tear on the tip of his finger, and brushed the moisture away.

"I love you too, Finn." Hearing the words come from her mouth made his heart feel like it was soaring out of his chest. Unbridled joy flowed through him, and he devoured her mouth in a searing kiss. He wanted to lift her up and throw her down onto the bed so they could have mind-blowing reunion sex, but the various boxes he'd ignored before were in their way.

"Rachel, what the hell is all of this stuff?"

She looked sheepish and hesitated answering. "Well, Finn, I know I didn't keep one of my promises, but I wanted to make sure I kept the other one."

Realization struck him like lightning, and he grasped her shoulders in disbelief. "You're moving to LA?"

"I promised you I would if the show got picked up! It's just," She looked down, sadly, and he lifted up her face so he could look into her eyes. "I don't have a place yet, and I wanted to know if I could crash here for a few days. Until I find a nice apartment."

"Of course you can stay." Placing a kiss on her willing lips, he started to move boxes out of the way so they wouldn't be tripping over everything. "Jeez, Broadway, you sure have a lot of stuff."

"Oh, this is just the essentials. The furniture and the rest of my things wil be coming by the end of this week." He blanched. This girl could open up a Macy's with everything she owned. "So, Puck knows about us." She said it as a statement and not a question.

"Yeah. He won't tell though, I promise."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well, it's a funny story. . ."

* * *

Salut mes amis!

Reunited and it feels so gooooood!

Until Next Time. . . *sings* Don't Stop. . . Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	9. Life's A Beach

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: I am so happy that some of you recognized my shout-out to my other favorite show, Chuck, in the last chapter. I don't write fics for that show, but I needed to represent it somehow, and the whiskey-drinking, guitar-hero playing tidbit is a nod to Chuck Bartowski!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Glee has returned (TONIGHT!!!), so I won't be updating every day anymore. We shall see.

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Nine: Life's A Beach

* * *

Rachel eventually found an apartment in LA, but she spent the first few days with Finn in his apartment.

Puck barely saw them at all.

Finn couldn't help himself. She'd been away from him for so long he felt like he couldn't get enough of her. Eventually he helped her move her stuff into a new apartment not too far from him, and she was settling nicely. They tried to work around their busy schedules to still have time alone together, but it was getting harder and harder by the day. Their schedule had become grueling. They bounced between filming on set, recording in the studio, and the various other dance lessons and photo shoots they had to show up for. Their only consolation was that they were together all the time.

Finn was worried that people were getting suspicious of them. They never openly flirted on set, but they had a chemistry with each other that people had started to notice. They had kissing scenes. Three of them. And when they kissed, the sparks flew. It was hard not to notice. Even when they just goofed around on set in-between takes, he could see people in the crew whispering around him. It was starting to make him paranoid.

As far as the show itself was concerned, things couldn't have been going more smoothly. They were a week away from the big series premiere, and the whole cast was getting ready to fly to New York City for the up-fronts and private screening. They had a ton of events planned; interviews, photo-ops, autograph signing, even a live performance.

Finn was terrified.

He'd never been to New York before. He'd never been interviewed before. And he'd never sung in front of a crowd of people before.

He had no reason NOT to be terrified.

Rachel suggested they get away for a day; she advised that he should get out of the city and clear his head in order to prepare for their trip. So, on the Sunday before the big premiere, she came up with an idea for a getaway.

"Let's go to the beach." She was lying with her head in Finn's lap while he played video games and Rachel watched. He paused the game and looked down at her expectant eyes.

"The beach?" He asked puzzled. "Why?"

"You need an afternoon where you can relax. I love going to the beach. It helps me clear my head."

He mulled the idea over in his head and realized something. "I've never been to the beach before."

She sat up abruptly and knocked his controller off of the couch in a flurry of movement. "What do you mean you've never been to the beach?" Her incredulous tone made him feel self-conscious.

"Well, I'm from Ohio. There are no oceans in Ohio." She crawled forward on her hands and knees until she was straddling his lap. Placing a soft hand on the side of his face, she looked as if she didn't believe him.

"You've really never been to the beach before?" She looked like she wanted to cry. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way--as if she was the one who'd never been to the beach.

"Rachel, it's okay, honestly. Let's go. You can show me what I've been missing." A brilliant smile lit up her face and she jumped off of his lap to gather a bag of beach essentials. He followed her around, collecting the towels and blankets she pulled out of his bathroom and putting them into an old backpack. She called her private car, and the driver picked the couple up at Finn's apartment.

The ride to the beach was quiet and serene. Finn held Rachel in his arms as they listened to the radio. They heard a few commercials promoting the show, and Finn almost had a heart attack when he'd heard his and Rachel's voices over the radio. He may have screamed like a girl a little bit. In only a few more days, they would see each other on screen in New York. It seemed almost unreal.

After a long and relaxing drive, the car eventually dropped off the couple at the beach. Finn walked up to the boardwalk, and soaked in the image of the vast, dark ocean stretched out in front of him.

It was amazing. It looked as if it went on forever. Taking a deep breath, he could smell the salt in the air, and taste it on his tongue. The hot sun beat down on him, yet he could feel a cool breeze coming from the ocean and whipping around him. He stared, transfixed, as the water crashed onto the shore, bursting into a cascade of white foam, only to retreat back and crash forward again.

He felt a small hand slip into his, snapping him out of his trance. He stared down at Rachel's shining face, and marveled at how much more beautiful she looked with the sun highlighting all of her features. Her skin was glowing, her eyes were shining, and her hair was highlighted with a mix of brown shades, from light to dark.

"Pretty, isn't it?" He knew she was talking about the beach, but when he answered, he was thinking about her.

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

* * *

The long sheet she'd pulled out of his bathroom was covered in sand, even though she'd tried everything in her power to keep it from getting sandy. At the beach, sand was inevitable, but there was nothing she hated more than sitting in sand. It crept up into the most uncomfortable places!

But she didn't mind it all that much, seeing as she was surrounded by the broad body of her lover. Her secret boyfriend. Her world. Ever since she moved back, things had been almost surreal. She had an amazing job, she was finally making friends, and she found a guy who genuinely cared for her. Who was she kidding, Finn was crazy about her, and he had no qualms about expressing his feelings.

It was her who had the problem.

She was worried about how much longer they would be able to keep their affair a secret. Puck already knew, and she was afraid that the cast and crew were starting to pick up on it, too. She couldn't help it if they'd had a lot of kissing scenes in the first few episodes. And she definitely couldn't help it if their acting wasn't so much acting as it was personal enjoyment. He was an amazing kisser, scene or no scene.

She sighed as she stared out into the vast horizon. The sun was starting to set; they'd been sitting on the shore for about three hours already, but neither of them wanted to move. The sky was ablaze with fiery colors, and the hues of yellow, orange and red gave Finn's skin a sun-kissed glow. She looked up at him and felt her heart ache in her chest. She loved him so much it was scary. She'd never opened herself up to a guy like she'd done with Finn before.

And she couldn't even tell anyone about it.

She leaned back into his chest and he dropped his head forward until it was resting on hers in a deep embrace. A lover's embrace. She thought he'd somehow been able to read her mind in this intimate hug, because the next thing he said was the exact thing she was fearing in her heart.

"When are we going to tell people the truth?" She didn't turn around to look at him, instead she leaned into him even more, trying to hide in the safety of his arms.

"I don't know. I don't think now is a good time."

"Why? Because of the premiere?" He sounded so sad. Why was she always the reason he sounded so sad?

"Yeah. We should wait until we see how people react to the show. I think maybe Ryan should know first. Maybe he could tell us what to do." If she was being honest with herself she would have realized that she had no idea what she was doing in regards to confessing their secret relationship. She'd never had to do it before, and she was thinking that maybe they should hire a publicist.

"So, if I'm interviewed, and someone asks me a question about you, or if I have a girlfriend, what should I say?" She shook her head. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. A few weeks ago, she would have laughed in someone's face if they'd told her she would have a secret love affair with a co-star. Now she was so overwhelmed with the reality of it all, she didn't know how to deal.

"Tell them you're single." She couldn't avoid the curt tone to her voice, and the way she turned her head so she could bury it into his chest, escaping from the harsh world into the safety of his body. This was supposed to be a day of clarity, not a day of stress!

"Okay." He seemed to drop the subject and she was grateful. She hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider interviews and details of that nature. The sun continued to set and she relaxed into Finn again, trying to avoid thinking about their secret relationship and the potential backlash it could receive. "Thanks for bringing me here. It was just like I'd imagined it."

She lifted her head up and out of his shirt to look into his eyes. He was looking out to the water, and she could see a peaceful expression softening up his features. "What do you mean?"

He smiled and looked down at her before returning his gaze to the sea. "Well, I don't know if you've figured this out about me yet, but I'm a bit of a daydreamer. You know? Small town boy and all, I had nothing better to do but imagine a better life for me. I would sit around and think about all the things I wanted to do, but never thought I could." His beaming smile warmed her heart. "Like today. Sitting here, on a beach, with you. It's all I ever dreamed of and more." Leaning down, he caught her lips in a soft, tender, kiss. "And now I feel like it's all come true. After this week, I don't think things will be the same anymore." His words were positive, and his smile was proof of that; but they left her with a feeling she couldn't shake off, even after boarding the plane to New York, two days later.

* * *

When Finn and the cast of Glee touched down in New York, Finn felt like he had reverted back into a young kid. He was filled with childish wonder as he stared around him at the massive structures that stretched into the sky, and the crowds of people that filled the giant sidewalks. New York seemed like another world to him, and he was constantly distracted by something new and different to him.

But this was no time to be a tourist. He had to keep reminding himself that this trip was strictly business, and not pleasure. The show was on the line. He had to answer every question professionally, and be on his best behavior.

And make absolutely no allusions to the fact that he was having a passionate love affair with the star of the show.

Sitting in a make up chair, he waited patiently for the cast to get ready as a woman spread pressed powder over his face. They had to first perform, then they could meet the crowd and sign autographs before the show started. Then they had to sit through interviews.

To say he was nervous was an understatement. His palms were sweaty and he thought he was going to puke. He had to sing in fifteen minutes and his entire career was riding on this one episode.

A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to the present, and Rachel was there beside him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay, Finn?" He touched the hand that was on his shoulder, and wanted so badly to kiss her. Unfortunately for him, they were surrounded by people.

"Just nervous, Broadway. Today is a big day."

She nodded her head and bit her lip. "I know." He couldn't believe his eyes. Was Rachel, Rachel Berry the Broadway Star, actually _nervous_?

"Hey, look at me." She lifted her head and he could see the worry etched deep into her face. "You have nothing to be worried about. You are amazing. This show is going to kick-ass, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

For a moment, he forgot where he was. He forgot that he was surrounded by people, and that flirting and PDA was explicitly against their rules. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched, and her hair formed a curtain around their faces. Here, it was just Finn and Rachel--no one else mattered. "Don't you feel it, Rachel? This show is special. I have a feeling that this is going to be big, and we're a part of it. You'll see." She nodded her head and he leaned forward to capture her lips in the fastest kiss he could muster. He pulled apart from her, and heard the event planners call for the cast to get into place. "Let's go, Broadway. It's time." She beamed at him and followed him out of the small room.

Neither of them truly realized that they had just kissed in front of the entire cast and crew. But Finn heard the whispers behind him, and when he turned around he saw Rachel's shining smile, and the shocked faces of Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina behind her, who were whispering to each other and pointing at him. He realized in an instant what had happened; that they had lost themselves while comforting each other and broke their one cardinal rule: NO PDA.

OH SHIT.

The cast was led to the backstage area, where the group warmed up while the stage was getting sound-checked. He felt the eyes of Artie on him, and even locked eyes with Ryan who had been giving pep talks in the dressing room with them. He did not look happy. He looked down at Rachel, and she still seemed unaware that people had noticed them kiss. He poked her in the arm, and she looked at him expectantly while she was warming up.

He leaned over to whisper, "Everyone saw us kiss!", while she continued to exercise her vocal chords. She went sharp on the note she was holding, and she covered her mouth with both hands in embarrassment. She locked eyes with Ryan and her eyes stayed wide open in shock. She continued to warm-up, but she could barely control the light tremor in her voice. He could see tears gathering in her eyes, as the wavering became slightly more prominent. He had never heard Rachel sound like this before.

Oh-no.

They had to sing in about five minutes, and Rachel looked like she was going to have a meltdown. He reached out for her hand and she swatted it away. Completely hurt and totally dejected, he took a step away from her and focused on warming up. He could not get into relationship drama right now. They had to perform. Eventually, Rachel composed herself, and her voice sounded in top shape. The stage crew finished the sound check outside where they would be performing, and the cast lined up to get ready.

As Ryan walked up and down the line, giving the other cast members encouragement and "Good Luck," he had only one thing to say to Finn.

"When today is over, we have a lot to discuss."

Not the best thing to hear right before you're about to give the performance of your life.

But he sucked it up. The whole show was riding on today. He had to make it work.

* * *

Rachel was in awe of the final product of the pilot. She stood up on her feet and clapped enthusiastically while the credits rolled. Seeing it in New York, watching it for the first time in her hometown with her friends and family, was one of the most amazing experiences of her life.

Too bad her secret relationship was crumbling around her and she hadn't had a second all day to try and pick up the pieces.

Finn sat next to her, of course. They were the leads, Cory and Lea, so they were told to sit next to each other. It was nice, even if they did share about a million awkward looks and longing glances throughout the majority of the day. They had to be all smiles for the photographers, posing and laughing and looking cute. But, when the screening began, they couldn't help but let their inner turmoil show. They were trying to avoid touching each other, but all they wanted to do was hold hands. The cast was still giving them weird looks and she knew she was in trouble with Ryan. He had said that they needed to talk after the stress of the night was over. Thank God she was a professional and was able to hold it together; the performance went smoothly enough for their first time live.

After the show was over, they signed autographs and took pictures with fans who had stayed after the show. She laughed as Finn enthusiastically signed people's posters and took pictures with fans. She realized he had never done this before, and she knew he was probably excited about having fans.

She wanted to share that with him. But she was in hot water.

She saw Ryan staring at her from across the pavilion, waiting for her and Finn to finish with the fans before joining him for their "conversation". The hot water was starting to boil.

She signed a few more autographs and called out to Finn. "Ohio! It's time to talk to Ryan." He nodded grimly at her, and signed a final poster before following her back into the building.

When they were out of sight from the cameras, they held hands as they followed Ryan back into their dressing room.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

I am so sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. It might be a while before I can get the next one out, but I am slowly figuring out where I'm taking the rest of the story. A few more chapters!

ENJOY THE PREMIERE OF GLEE EVERYONE! YAY!!

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	10. Relationship Insurance

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: I got so drunk while watching Hell-O last night, that after the show and Vogue was over, I curled up into the fetal position on my bedroom floor and cried tears of joy. Literally. I cried drunken tears of happiness. The Minsk needs to get a life.

**CITRUS ALERT** I know you've been missing this!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Ten: Relationship Insurance

* * *

Finn felt Rachel squeezing his hand for dear life as they followed Ryan back into the dressing room. His palms were sweaty, and he knew that Rachel could feel them, but he didn't care. His career was on the line. This had the potential for catastrophe.

The three of them walked into the empty dressing room, and Ryan closed the door behind them. He turned to the couple with both arms crossed in front of his chest. They stood in tense silence for an excruciatingly long minute, before Ryan took a deep breath.

"So, how long has this been going on?"

Finn had to swallow a lump of nervousness in his throat before answering, and he couldn't control the tremor in his voice. "Since day one."

"Ah. I see." Ryan nodded grimly, and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "You were pretty good at hiding it, I must admit." Neither Finn nor Rachel knew how to respond to that, so they let him continue. "You're not the first co-stars I've come across who've started dating, so don't think you two are anything special; I've had to deal with this before. So, I am going to tell you the same thing I tell all my cast members who date. Keep your private lives away from my set. Whatever you want to do outside of work is your business, but if you bring any drama to work, I will not be happy. Are we clear?"

The young couple nodded furiously at their boss, responding with "Yes, sir."

Finally a small smile broke out on his face. "Good. That part is settled. There is something else. While I might be okay with you two, there are people in the cast and crew who might let this information slip. Not viciously, but it could come up in interviews and things of that nature. So, we in the business have protocols for this kind of thing. You have two options. You can either come out as a couple, and embrace your relationship in the public eye, or you can have the cast and crew sign a confidentiality agreement. Then, by law, no one would be allowed to tell your secret, and you can keep the relationship hush-hush. It's up to you."

All the pressures that Finn felt about hiding their relationship melted away in that instant. Finn was elated that they could finally come out as a couple. Ryan didn't mind, and they weren't going to lose their jobs, so he saw no need for sneaking around anymore. Now he and Rachel can finally be a real couple!

He was about to tell Ryan that there would be no need for such a document, when he heard Rachel address Ryan in her bossiest tone. "I will have my lawyers contact yours for the terms of the confidentiality agreement. Does it cover us if we break up as well. . ." She started to shoot off more legal jargon than an episode of _Law and Order_, and Finn stood dumbstruck as Rachel talked more and more about keeping the secrecy of their relationship. He was stunned. He thought this would be their chance to finally embrace their relationship, and here she was trying harder and harder to cover it up.

He didn't know what to do or say in order to express his opinion at the moment, so he just stood there as Rachel and Ryan worked out the details of the paperwork. He felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Today had been such an emotional roller-coaster of a day, he couldn't even think straight.

Ryan smiled at the pair and turned to leave the dressing room. "Okay Rachel, the paperwork will be drafted and we can have the cast and crew sign it by tomorrow. Have a great night. Our flight back to LA is tomorrow morning, so get some rest." He left the room and Rachel looked up at Finn, wiping her forehead in an exasperated gesture that was meant to be funny.

He was not laughing.

"Whew. That was close." Her nonchalant tone was pissing Finn off to no end. What the hell was going on in that gorgeous head of hers?

"Rachel, what the fuck was that?" She was startled a little at his severe tone, and she searched his face and realized how angry he was.

"What do you mean?"

"Why the hell are we making the cast and crew, _our friends_, sign a confidentiality agreement about our relationship? It's ludicrous!" He was so exasperated he could barely explain how fucked up the situation actually was. How could she not seize this opportunity? "We're not going to get fired. Ryan is cool with it. This is all unnecessary."

"I disagree. Think of it as relationship insurance. We'll never have to worry about people talking about us; whether or not we break up, or if the show ends."

"But this was our chance, Rachel. I don't want to hide anymore. I want us to be a real couple."

Her answer was sharp, and it stabbed him in the chest with it's implication. "No."

He was so shocked he could have been knocked over by the wind. He had to lean up against a make-up chair for support. "What?"

"I'm not ready for that, yet."

"Well, when the hell are you going to be ready? We've been doing this for months and I've given you everything you've ever asked from me. Without question. I thought we were hiding because you were afraid we were going to lose our jobs. If that's not it, then what are you afraid of?"

She stood there, in front of him, for what seemed like an eternity. She wouldn't make eye contact with him, and she had a hard, stubborn set to her jaw. When she finally looked him in the eyes, her gaze held a coldness he'd never witnessed before. "Not everything in life plays out like the daydreams in your head, Ohio. I don't think you truly realize what going public would do to our relationship. It could ruin it. It could tear us apart."

"So you're afraid of what exactly? I don't understand!" He was frustrated with her logic and couldn't figure out what was keeping her from embracing their relationship in public.

She dropped the coldness from her expression, and walked up to him with a pleading expression on her face. She was looking for comfort, but he was too upset to provide it. He felt like she was kicking him in the emotional nads over and over again. But she reached out for his hand, and he entwined his fingers with hers; caving in, needing the comfort of her touch.

"Please, Finn. I know you don't understand, but I'm trying to protect our relationship. I need it to stay secret for a little while longer. I'm not ready for the backlash."

"What backlash? I don't get it." All he wanted was to take her out to restaurants and dates!

"The press! The paparazzi! The fan's reactions! It's more than you realize, Ohio! They'll follow us, and ask about our personal business. They'll stalk us when we go out and take pictures of us all the time. I don't want that, yet." He didn't see the big deal about any if this, but he just sighed deeply and nodded his head. He had to admit reluctant defeat. He'd admitted to himself on many occasions, that she was the one who made the rules in their relationship. If she thought it would protect them, then he would have to swallow a pill as monumental as a confidentiality agreement.

"Okay. Fine. They'll sign the agreement-thingy. But how much more longer will we have to hide, Rachel? When will it end?"

She leaned into him and placed her lips onto his, making his previous anger melt out of him with her gentle caress. "Soon, love, soon." She deepened the kiss and all the tension from the day was obliterated by the power she had over his heart. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, and he pushed their argument out of his mind.

"Let's get out of here, Broadway."

* * *

Rachel straddled Finn's lap in the backseat of their private car the entire way back to their hotel, their lips entwined in a delicate dance for dominance as their hands caressed evrything in reach. Finn's hands had slipped up her short dress, and she felt a thrill when he grabbed hold of her ass and grinded up against her. She was afraid all day long that it would be the end of their relationship once Ryan knew about it. Thankfully he'd been okay with the idea, but she knew that from now on, she had to protect their relationship at all costs. She wouldn't let anything come in-between them and their love, and the only way for that to be possible was to stay hidden. Stay under the radar.

She was terrified of losing Finn. If the public found out about them, they could tear their relationship apart. The tabloids would post rumors about them and exploit their weaknesses. It could bring drama onto the set, which was Ryan's one cardinal rule about relationships in the cast. She knew that keeping them a secret was a good call. With the confidentiality agreement, they at least knew that no one involved with the show would be spilling anything.

She knew this was in their best interest. She was making the right choice.

When the car pulled up to the hotel, they entered through the back so no one could see them. They headed straight for Rachel's hotel room, barely able to keep their hands off of each other. When they got into her room, she was immediately swept up into his arms, and carried over to the large bed. She giggled when he ploppd her onto the covers, then jumped on top of her to pin her down.

"Someone's feisty tonight."

Amused, he leaned over to place an affectionate kiss on her forehead. "I feel kind of good, having the cast know about us. I was upset that you didn't want to go public yet, but this is kind of okay. Baby steps, right?"

She smiled. She didn't realize how hurt he'd been when she decided to move ahead with the confidentiality stuff. Her heart ached when she thought about their argument. He needed to understand how important it was to keep their relationship a secret. "Exactly, Ohio. Baby steps. Then we can tell people. I promise."

She sealed her promise with a kiss and he balanced his weight on top of her, still pinning her down. He flipped them over so she was on top of him, and they started to peel off the expensive dress clothes they'd worn for the premiere. He helped her lift her frilly dress over her head, and brought her body forward to place wet, open kisses down the expanse of her chest. She mewled with pleasure as his mouth closed over her breast, and she ran her hands through his thick, dark hair. She could hear him groaning in lust, and she felt his erection against her body, throbbing and ready for her. He pulled away from her momentarily to slip on a condom, and then they were back in the other's arms, ready and waiting.

She straddled his lap again, like she'd done in the car, and sighed blissfully as she eased him into her. She felt the delicious tingles of pleasure shoot up her spine when he filled her up and stretched her with his love. She stayed in that position for a moment, savoring the feel of him inside her, and they way she felt so completely connected to him. Slowly gyrating her hips in circles, she laughed as he fell backwards on to the bed, and moaned loudly. He placed his hands on her hips and started to move her up and down his length, desperately craving more. She couldn't contain her excitement when she rode his length, feeling him moaning and writhing underneath her. It turned her on to no end, knowing that she was bringing him the pleasure he craved.

She could feel her own pleasure building slowly, growing stronger and stronger with each move of her hips. When he grabbed her ass to forcefully slam her down onto his desperate body, she felt the pressure explode inside of her, and she was seeing stars when she heard him reaching his own completion. She collapsed on top of Finn's chest in complete exhaustion; from both the stress of the day and their passionate lovemaking.

"Jesus Christ Broadway, you wear me out."

"Same here, Ohio. Same here."

They were so tired, they skipped their mandatory post-coital snuggling and passed out on top of each other without another word.

The next morning, the entire cast and crew were waiting at the airport for their flight back to LA. Rachel and Finn looked on in a bit of embarrassment as Ryan went around and made everyone sign the confidentiality agreement for their relationship. Luckily, Finn just held her hand and squeezed. She knew she was making the right choice for them. It would all pay off in the end.

Besides, they couldn't worry about their relationship anymore. The show had just premiered, and it was time to promote the hell out of _Glee_ in any and every way possible.

* * *

The entire summer passed by Finn and Rachel in a blur of interviews, photo shoots and filming pick-up shots for the first thirteen episodes. After the show had premiered in May, Finn and Rachel were hopping from state to state and even country to country to promote the show. It had garnered rave reviews, and Ryan was more than happy with the reception it had received in the Hollywood community. Finn was more than a little overwhelmed with the intensity of it all. But as long as he had Rachel, he endured very interview and every snap of the camera. They had little time to be truly alone, but at least they were always together. Their relationship was still being kept under wraps, and they were comfortable with the cast knowing about them. No one gave them any drama, and they all kept their promise to keep it hush-hush.

They were getting better with answering questions about their personal lives. If they were asked about their relationship they always responded with "I'm single." or "We're best friends." It had worked. No one suspected anything more.

This made them feel more and more bold with the idea of being out in public together. Finn was finally able to take Rachel out to the expensive restaurant he'd always wanted to take her to, even if the appetizers were 35 bucks. It was probably the most expensive meal he would ever pay for, but she enjoyed it, which was all that mattered. No one snapped their picture, and they were barely noticed at all.

Finally, at the end of the summer, the promotional tour for the show was complete. Finn and the cast returned to LA for good, and they didn't have to show up to any more photo shoots or autograph signings. He thought he would keel over in exhaustion if he had to board one more plane. The only good thing about the tour was the fans. He never thought in a million years that he would ever have fans, and he'd spent the whole summer with people who screamed his name and wanted nothing more than a picture of him or his name on a piece of paper. It was unreal.

The build-up to the fall premiere was intense. He saw commercials and ads for the show wherever he went, and he couldn't pass a magazine without seeing his and Rachel's faces on the cover. He bought every one of them, and mailed them all to his mom in Ohio so she could see that her son had made it in Hollywood.

The night of the fall premiere, the entire cast and crew met up at Ryan Murphy's house to watch it all together. He sat in the large, luxurious house in the Hollywood Hills and watched in awe as the final product of their hard work and dedication played out on screen. When it was over, he knew that this show was going to be big.

He just didn't realize how big it was going to get.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

The show is about to blow up! Will their relationship survive the blast?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop Reviewing

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	11. Gossip Girl

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: My boyfriend woke me up wayyy too early this morning! Which means I have time to write!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Eleven: Gossip Girl

* * *

Finn tried his hardest to keep his eyes shut, as the bright LA sun poured into his bedroom window. He tiptoed out of bed, trying not to wake up Rachel, who had crashed at his place after a dinner out with the cast. Closing the blinds to his window, he noticed a shady looking van parked across the street from his apartment. A greasy man was leaning against it, smoking a cigarette, his other hand shaking. He looked like a junkie. Another man was sitting on the sidewalk, next to the van, doing nothing but staring off into space. He hated this neighborhood. He was moving out of here the second they started filming the back-nine. He shook his head when he turned around and slipped back under the covers. Rachel draped her body over his, still sleeping. Finn tried to close his eyes and fall back to sleep, but his mind was racing. All he thought about these days was the show.

_Glee_ had been on TV for over a month, and it had already been picked up for a complete 22-episode season. They had to wait to start filming the last nine episodes, but they spent every waking moment promoting the show. They went on tours to malls where they signed albums and posters. They went to events where they got free stuff and money just to show up. They attended fancy dinners and charity events. He was meeting people he had only ever seen in movies and magazines, and they'd been the ones complimenting _him_. It was surreal. Finn was living the life he had only ever dreamed of.

And the real thing was way better than he'd ever imagined.

People adored the show. Not just love, it was adoration. He'd been to places where he thought he would go deaf from the sound of the piercing screams of the crowd. He'd signed his name on so many weird places it was almost terrifying. He once signed someone's baby! And one person wanted to use his signature as the basis for a tattoo. It was insanity. His name was forever going to be inked onto some chick's arm.

He was making amazing money as well. Never in his life did he think he was going to be pulling in this much money. And the more episodes they made, the more money he was earning. The show was making millions off of iTunes downloads and album sales, and the producers were rewarding the cast with fat paychecks.

Sure, he might have spent a lot of it on souping up his Honda Civic. It was the least he could do to the car that carried his ass across country to this crazy life of stardom. And maybe he bought some new toys; like a flat-screen LCD, a BlackBerry and a laptop, but he thought he'd earned it. He didn't have much left, but it had been worth it.

So once filming started up again he could move out of this crummy neighborhood where junkies hung out on the street in the middle of the day. He was ashamed to even bring someone as beautiful and posh as Rachel to a place like this.

He and Rachel were still hiding their relationship, even though he wanted nothing more than to scream the truth from the highest building in LA. Every time they went out to fancy events they weren't allowed to walk the red carpet together, or take pictures together. They couldn't hold hands, and they had to watch everything they said in front of the press. It was annoying, but Rachel was happy. As long as she was happy, he would follow through with the charade. At least they still were able to find moments like this where they could be together.

He felt Rachel's body move on top of his, and he cracked an eye open to see her stretch her sleeping limbs. She winked at him after yawning widely, and she reached up to give him a soft kiss.

"Good Morning, Ohio."

"Morning, Broadway."

"Did my cell ring? I have an interview for another magazine later on today."

"No, I didn't hear anything." He wrapped his arms around her and she cuddled close to him. "I have something today, too. I think I'm filming a pick-up scene with Will later. When is the next charity thingy we have to show up for? I need to pick up my suit from the cleaners. One of the Kardashian sisters spilled a Chocolate Martini on it at the CD launch last week, and it's my only good suit."

"The silver one?"

"Yeah."

"I think next Friday. We have time. I like that suit, too. I want you to wear at least the jacket." She got up out of bed and started to gather her things.

He nodded as she got dressed and left to use the bathroom. They'd been attending a lot of charity events lately, but this next one actually involved them. Various music artists were auctioning off performances to raise money for cancer research, and "The Cast of Glee" was one of the acts on the bill. Rachel was even getting her own performance slot; ever since the show became so popular, Rachel Berry had become a house-hold name. He couldn't have been more proud of all the praise she'd been getting for the role of Lea. She deserved it.

Rachel came back into the room, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Puck just got out of the shower. Must he insist on walking around with only a towel on?"

He laughed at his friend's antics. "You know him. He always has to think he's a stud."

She laughed as a car horn beeped in front of the apartment. He went over to the window and looked down to see her shiny black town-car pull up next to the shady van that was still parked across the street. Junkie Guy and Lazy Ass were no longer there.

"Okay, Rach, your ride is here." They kissed a final time and she headed to the door. He got a text from Ryan saying he had to be on the lot in an hour, and rushed to get ready for a shower. He stripped naked, and pulled a towel around his waist. He headed for the bathroom, and noticed that she'd left her cell phone on his night stand. He threw it at Puck on his way to the shower.

"Go bring this out to Rachel's car."

"I'm in a towel dude."

"Me too, but I'm in a hurry. Just do it! She needs it!"

He scoffed and threw on a pair of flip-flops, holding his towel firmly in place while grumbling a "Fine," and walking out the door.

Finn rushed to get ready for his day, hoping Puck had caught her in time.

* * *

Rachel walked out of Finn's apartment, an immediately noticed the van that was parked next to her town-car. There were men in the front seat, and the two of them were looking at her. She saw one of them point straight at her, and they started to get out of the vehicle.

They were holding cameras.

She felt her hackles rise, and she immediately reached for her cell phone to ask her car to pull up in front of the apartment so she wouldn't have to cross the street.

Her cell wasn't there.

She turned to go back into the apartment, but she'd locked the door behind her. She had to get to her car and get the hell out of there, fast. But there was no way to her car unless she walked across the street and past the van with the creepy men. She steeled herself, and walked across the street, trying her best to ignore them and walk straight to her car.

She didn't get halfway across the street before the men came up to her and started to mercilessly snap her picture.

"Rachel Berry! What are you doing in this part of town? Hot date? With a co-star maybe?"

She wanted to scream in the guy's ugly, oily, face to leave her the hell alone, but she was blinded by the disorientating flash of the camera, and tried to push through the two men to get to her car.

"Smile for us, baby! Which of your co-stars were you with? Are you seeing one of them?"

She tried her hardest to keep her mouth shut and find a way around them. She needed to get out of there quick before Finn heard the commotion and came outside. . .

"Hey, Berry!" She turned around at the familiar voice and her heart stopped in her chest. No, this wasn't happening. . .

Instead of Finn coming outside, she saw Puck come out of the apartment with nothing but a towel on, holding her cell phone. Puck took one look at what was going on, and his face morphed into a mask of anger.

"What the fuck is going on here? Leave Rachel the hell alone!" Puck pushed through the two men and handed Rachel her cell phone. Rachel was both elated and horrified that Puck was here. She was happy that he could help her push past the paparazzi, but she was terrified of his lack of clothing and their compromising position. He helped her to her car, and Rachel heard the snapping of more and more pictures of her and Puck. Together.

It was a nightmare of epic proportions.

"Nice boyfriend, Berry! I knew you were doing it with a co-star!" The paps snapped a final picture of Rachel, her face contorted into shock and horror. Puck closed the car door and pushed through the paps to go back into his apartment, the vultures snapping up every shot they could get of her shirtless co-star.

As the car drove away, the seriousness of the situation actually hit her.

She'd just been caught leaving Puck and Finn's apartment. Puck had come out, almost naked, with her cell phone. It totally seemed like they were screwing each other.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

And she had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

She arrived at the interview, and she could barely keep herself composed long enough to answer the questions being asked. She was distracted by the events of the morning, and she knew the interview was going poorly. She couldn't stop shaking; she was so nervous about what had happened. How was she going to explain this?

The interview ended, and when she got back to her car, she noticed she had two voicemails. Her hands were still shaking when she listened to them.

The first one was from Finn. He was obviously unaware of what had happened. "Hey Broadway, it's me. Will and I are grabbing some drinks after we finish filming these pick-up scenes, so I'm sorry if I don't see you tonight. Have a great day!" His cheery voice did nothing to lift her spirits as her voicemail played the second message.

This time it was Herman. And he wasn't so cheery. "Rachel, it's Herman. I got a call from Access Hollywood about an interesting piece they're doing on you tonight. Something to do with you and an affair with a co-star. Please call me back so you can explain to me what the hell is going on with you!" Rachel was like a living, breathing statue for the rest of the ride. She didn't move an inch. She could feel her private life crumbling around her and she was powerless to stop it.

She went back to her apartment and crawled under the covers of her bed, trying to hide away from the world that was crashing down around her.

* * *

Finn sat in the bar with Will Schuester, who played Mr. Morrison, the glee club's advisor on the show. Will was a good guy. He was only a few years older than Finn, so he saw Will as the older brother he'd never had. He'd been on Broadway before too, so Will and Rachel were Finn's go-to people in regards to the business. Will always had good advice for Finn, and he was a much more stable drinking buddy than Puck was. Once Puck had a few drinks in him, he got crazy. Especially around women. Will was much more chill.

They nursed their beers while a TV blasted in the background. He normally didn't go out to bars, but tonight was an exception. It wasn't late yet, and he was just with Will. When he went out with the other cast members at night, he always got hit-on at the bars. It made him feel uncomfortable, seeing as he was with Rachel. But because he'd told reporters in interviews that he was single, it was like an open invitation for girls to flirt with him.

"So how are things going with Rachel?"

Finn took a deep chug of the bitter liquid before answering Will's question. "As good as things can get when you're hiding a passionate love affair from the public. I don't know how much longer we can do this. The show is getting so popular and we have to be together all the time. It's a lot harder than it looks."

Will laughed and clapped the young actor on his back. He sounded like he was going to say something else, but Finn heard nothing. The hand slid off of his back unceremoniously. Finn turned to look at Will, and noticed his mouth was hanging open in shock.

"What is it, man?" Will looked at Finn and pointed to the TV that was above their heads. Finn looked up, and noticed a woman with a big smile, talking about celebrities. "Yeah, what about her? This is gossip shit."

Will did nothing but shake his head and point while the lady with the giant fake smile rambled on about celebrity gossip. Who the hell cared if the Jonas Brothers were vacationing in Cabo?

But the lady continued on, and he almost dropped his beer in shock when a picture of Rachel, _his_ Rachel, flashed on the screen. She looked exactly the same as when she'd left his apartment that morning. Wait, that _was_ the front of his apartment!

"There's a new romance behind the scenes of TV's biggest show! Our reporters caught _Glee_ star Rachel Berry leaving the apartment of one of her co-stars! Here's Billy with the scoop! Billy?" He felt the air being knocked out of him. How did they find out about them? When had they been caught?

The camera panned to a man with a fake-tan and way too much product in his hair. "Thanks, have we got a scoop for you! It seems that _Glee_ star Rachel Berry is involved with one of her sexy male co-stars from the show, and only Access Hollywood has the pictures to prove it!"

Finn watched in complete horror as he saw pictures of Rachel being flashed on the screen. He almost hollered in fury when the pictures showed her and PUCK, with only his towel on, outside of their apartment. He could see Puck pass Rachel her cell phone in the pictures. Then he helped her into her car. He could barely hear the host talking about the gossip, all he could see was his girlfriend and his room-mate being exploited as a couple on National Television.

"In a twist that the tabloids are calling _Puckleberry_, fans are filled with glee over this budding relationship between two beloved characters." Finn stood up abruptly, knocking his beer into Will's glass and dripping beer all over the bar. This wasn't happening. This was unreal. What the fuck was PUCKLEBERRY? The host continued to talk about the fan's reactions to the new "it" couple, as they interviewed people on the street.

A shrieking girl in a _Glee_ t-shirt screamed into the camera, "OH EM GLEE!! I think they're too cute together! Puckleberry for life!" Finn felt like he was going to be ill.

"Finn? Are you okay, man?" He could hear Will's voice but it sounded like it was coming through a tunnel. He sounded very far away, even though he was sitting right next to him.

More and more pictures of Rachel and Puck passed by on the screen, and he recognized the van and the shady man in the background of the pictures. The junkies from that morning weren't junkies, they were paparazzi! And they had been parked out in front of his apartment all morning. When Finn had sent Puck out to give Rachel back her cell phone, he had accidentally set up the worst photo-op imaginable.

"Only Access Hollywood can keep you posted on all things Puckleberry! Check out our website for all the pics and don't forget to tune in. . ." The host rambled on some more and Finn picked up his glass to down every last drop of his beer.

Will looked more than a little worried about him. "Finn, let me drive you home." Finn shook his head and paid for his drink.

"No, it's okay. I have to go to Rachel's." He rubbed his temples with his fingers, trying desperately to relieve the pressure building in his head. "We need to talk."

Will nodded at his friend and Finn left the bar, determined to talk to Rachel about this debacle and what it meant for their relationship.

He never wanted to hear the word Puckleberry again for as long as he lived.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

OH NO! PUCKLEBERRY RUINS FINCHEL FUN EVEN IN A/U!

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	12. Ultimatum

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, it's been a busy weekend! Only a few more chapters to go!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Twelve: Ultimatum

* * *

His vision was blurry as he stumbled down the streets lined with houses he would never be able to afford; no matter how many seasons _Glee_ aired. He shouldn't have chugged that last beer he'd had at the bar; he wasn't drunk but he wasn't exactly sober either. His mind was a haze of emotions he couldn't sort out in his drunken state. He was angry, and pissed off, and fed up with the secrecy of their relationship. He needed to talk to Rachel and settle this once and for all.

He recognized her apartment in the dim lighting of the street, and marched up to her front door, pounding loudly. He didn't care that it was after 10 PM at night. And he really didn't care that he was making a ruckus in one of the most quietest and affluent areas he'd ever been to. All that mattered was Rachel.

"Rachel!" His fists beat up against the door loudly, and he could feel his anger boiling over the longer it took her to answer the door. He was starting to get desperate. "Rachel, it's Finn, let me in!"

He was screaming at the top of his lungs, and he continued to pound on her door like his life depended on it. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she opened the door.

"Finn? What are you doing here?" She looked around nervously, and he pushed right past her and let himself into her apartment without an invitation. Feeling frustrated, he started to pace around her spacious living room, and she looked on in shock.

"Finn, what's going on?" He scoffed at how nonchalant she sounded.

"What's going on? Have you heard the gossip, yet, Rachel? Hmm?" His voice was laced thick with sarcasm and she was taken aback by his attitude.

"Yes, I might have heard something about that today." She looked away from him, avoiding eye contact.

"Well? What are we going to do about it?" He stopped pacing and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "All of America thinks that you are dating Puck. Puck, of all people! We need to fix this."

She shrugged. "I don't really see what the big deal is."

"What do you mean, Rachel?"

"I mean, maybe we should just let this play out for itself. You have to admit, it serves as a pretty good cover for us. No one will suspect we're dating if they think I'm dating Puck. It kind of works out." Her eyes were pleading him to understand, but he couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut. She _still _wanted to hide their relationship. After all this time, and everything they'd been through, she still wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

"Are you serious?" His voice raised up an octave in incredulity. "You said you didn't want us to end up in the tabloids and you already are! You would rather have people think you're dating Puck, than admit that we've been having this affair for as long as we've known each other? This is unbelievable!"

"I don't see why you're so upset about this!"

He wanted to shake her. Could she really not see what this was doing to him? "Well let me break it down for you, Rachel!" He was flat-out screaming now, his throat burning under the strain of his vocal chords. "I am done with this shit! Finished." He could see her flinch at his screaming, but he ignored her and continued on with his rant. "Since day one, I have given you _everything_ I could. I knew that you were out of my league, but I didn't care. I thought that you were the most amazingly stunning woman I had ever laid eyes on, and I was willing to sacrifice everything for you. All you had to do was say the words. Even when you screwed me over, I forgave you instantly, without question. When I pushed to tell people the truth about us, and all you wanted to do was keep us quiet, I gave in and played along. But not anymore."

He could see the tears falling down her gorgeous face. He wanted to sweep her up in his arms and kiss away her tears. But at the same time, he wanted her to feel the pain that he'd been through since they'd started hiding their affair. "W-What are you saying?" He could barely hear her through her sobs.

"I'm saying I can't be with you if you're not willing to admit that our love is real. I want this Puckleberry shit gone from the headlines. If we had taken the opportunity to come clean about our relationship when the cast had found out, then we wouldn't be in this mess, Rachel. People would have found a cool name for us, and screamed it on the streets. Like, _Finchel_, or something, I don't know. All I know is that the word Puckleberry makes my ears bleed. And if you don't clear up these rumors that you and him are together, I can't be with you anymore."

"But Finn. . ." She was bawling now, but he had to stand his ground. He always caved in for her. This time, he had to prove to her that he was serious. He cut her off rudely and turned to leave.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. But you were the one who wanted us to stay a secret. Now, you have to admit the truth."

He turned his back on her, ready to leave. He felt her small hand wrap around his clenched fist. Her voice was small, and she gasped in-between hiccups. "But, Finn, I _love_ you." Her voice was so desperate he almost cracked. But he took a deep breath and hardened himself. Refusing to turn around, he said his peace.

"And I love you, too, Rachel. But you have before the next charity event to admit to the press that we've been dating, or else we are done." Without waiting to hear her response, he walked out her door into the dark night.

* * *

Rachel stood in her foyer, staring at the back of the man she loved more than anything.

The man who was giving her an ultimatum she couldn't handle.

She felt foolish for breaking down into hysterics in front of him, but she never would have imagined that he would take the Puckleberry debacle so hard. It was just a picture. And it was practically his fault the picture was set up the way it was. If it had been him in the towel, then the gossip mongers would be talking about Finchel on the news instead of Puckleberry.

But she knew that it was her fault that this had been dragged out for so long. He'd been right. If they had come clean months ago when the cast had found out, then they wouldn't be having these problems. In trying to protect them and their privacy from outside forces, she failed to see the damages being done to their relationship from the inside.

She watched as Finn walked out of her apartment into the breezy night. She wanted him to stay here, and wrap his arms around her to protect her from her pain. But he had given her a choice. And now she had a week to figure out how she would come clean about their affair.

She closed the door behind her, and was about to head for a relaxing shower when she heard a commotion in her front yard. She could hear people yelling, all men's voices, and she ran to her window to see what was going on. She almost screamed when she saw Finn, surrounded by paparazzi on all sides, snapping pictures of him leaving her house in the middle of the night.

"Get the hell away from me!" She could hear him yelling and trying to push through the cameras. Without thinking of the repercussions, she ran to the front door and pulled it open, startling the men with cameras and giving Finn the chance to escape.

"Leave him alone!" All of a sudden, flashes of light blinded her vision, and the men with cameras all moved forward to her front door.

"Rachel! Rachel! Is it really true? Are you seeing both co-stars?"

"Having a lover's quarrel? The neighbors said they'd heard fighting!"

"Which one do you prefer? Finn or Puck?"

The disorientating lights of the cameras made her mind go blank, and she screamed "NO COMMENT," before slamming the door in the faces of the paparazzi. She turned her back to the door and leaned against it, letting her butt slide unceremoniously to the ground. She let her head fall back against the door with a thud. That did not turn out as brilliantly as she thought it would.

Great. Perfect. Now the paps had pictures of her with Puck, _and_ pictures of Finn leaving her apartment. There was no way of getting around this now. The truth had to come out one way or another. She should have just told the paps that she and Finn were actually dating. That would have saved her a lot of trouble.

Over the next few days, she thought of nothing but Finn and how she was going to tell people the truth about their relationship. Every time she turned on the TV or opened a magazine, she saw her face with a picture of either Puck or Finn. She'd seen headlines that read "Life Imitates Art on the Set of Glee," "Finn and Puck at Odds Over Rachel," "Finchel or Puckleberry? Vote on our Online Poll!" The whole thing was being blown way too out of proportion. She didn't know what to do. Should she hire a publicist? Make Herman tell the press?

No. She had to find a way to do it that would show Finn that she was serious about their relationship. She needed to prove that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her. He deserved a grand gesture, something that will show him and the whole world that she loved Finn Hudson and not Noah Puckerman.

And she had about three days to do so. Friday was the date of their next big charity event, and Finn had mentioned that the gala would be her deadline. She hadn't talked to Finn since then, but she was pretty sure he was still serious about this aspect of his ultimatum. Her heart clenched in her chest when she thought about losing Finn over her own cowardice. She would be damned if she let the best relationship of her life slip through her fingers because she didn't want to be tabloid fodder. It was too late for that anyway.

Suddenly, she was struck with a genius idea. She knew how she was going to tell the world about her and Finn.

But she needed Puck's help.

* * *

"Dude, I have told you for the millionth time, none of this was my fault!" Puck was screaming at Finn from the hallway and Finn placed a pillow over his head to block out his voice. He knew it wasn't his fault the picture got taken. Hell, if it was anyone's fault, it was Finn's for not going outside himself. But he could still blame him for being the one everyone was going crazy over. "You're on the news now, too, bro. I think this is hilarious; seeing as Rachel is probably the one chick in LA I haven't slept with, and everyone thinks we're picking out curtains together." Why couldn't he just go away?

"Are you still winning the online poll?" The sarcasm was dripping from his voice and Puck's silence was enough of an answer for him. Why did people think she was better off with Puck and not him? "This is bullshit, Puck. Why does it have to be you? I'm the one who's actually dating her!"

"Dude, have you even talked to her since last week? She's super upset about all this and she said you haven't been answering her calls. This is happening to her, too." Finn shot up out of bed and opened the door, to find an amused Puck running his hands through his mohawk.

"How the hell do you know that we haven't spoken since last week?"

Puck raised an eyebrow and fought back a smug look. "Oh, you'll find out. Tonight at the charity event."

Running his hands over his face, he couldn't stay mad at Puck anymore. None of this was his fault. "Why haven't I heard anything, yet? I thought she would have said something to the press by now. Maybe she really does want us to break up. End the affair." Overwhelming sadness crashed over him at the idea of breaking up with Rachel. How would he be able to work with her, knowing how much he loved her and longed for her touch. He would have to quit the show or something. . .it would be impossible to stay.

"Dude, you sound like such a woman. Don't underestimate Berry. She knows what she's doing. Now get dressed for the event. The car will be here in a half an hour."

Finn dejectedly went into his room to change for the event. The last thing he wanted was to be exposed to the press and the paparazzi tonight. All he wanted to do was to hide away from the people who had made his life a living hell. But he had to perform for charity, and cancer research was important. He would suffer through tonight; he had to. He had to know if Rachel was really serious about admitting their affair.

The car pulled up to the apartment at 7pm sharp. Finn and Puck hopped in to find it filled with all the cast members who would be performing tonight. The group was performing one number, then both Rachel and Will got their own performance slots. Each performer was being auctioned off to raise money, so whomever "bought" the cast for the highest amount would be able to hear the song of their choice. He prayed that whoever paid for the cast of _Glee_ would request "Somebody to Love" instead of "Don't Stop Believin.'" It would be torture to sing that song with Rachel tonight.

He didn't make eye contact with her throughout the entire ride. It was already difficult enough trying to restrain himself from leaning across the car and ripping her stunningly beautiful, and terribly expensive, dress off of her. She really knew how to dress for these events. She looked like she just hopped out of the pages of _Vogue_ magazine.

When the car pulled up, the cast had to do their standard walk down the red carpet. Finn tried to avoid being interviewed, and instead signed pictures for the fans who had gathered outside of the event. He noticed Rachel being interviewed out of the corner of his eye. What was she saying? Was she telling the reporters the truth about them? He shook his head when he saw her walk away after a few moments. He doubted it.

When the cast entered the venue, they went backstage to change into their costumes for the performance. They sat on stage while the rich people in the audience offered to pay thousands of dollars to hear them sing. Finn's mouth dropped open in shock when an oil tycoon's daughter bought them for a whopping $20,000 dollars. She'd requested "Somebody To Love," and Finn secretly rejoiced as he went through the motions of the choreography. He was more than happy to be off the stage when the song was over. He changed and went right back to his seat, throwing back drink after drink. Now that he didn't have to sing anymore, he was going to get trashed.

His eyes were glued to the stage when they announced that "Broadway actress and _Glee_ star, Rachel Berry" would be performing next. She sat on a stool on the stage while the bidding began. People called out figures by the thousands, and Finn was impressed when the last bid was almost 9500 dollars. The auctioneer was about to sell her performance to the Prime Minister of Canada when Rachel herself stood up and called out, "10,000 dollars!"

The venue erupted in gasps as Rachel bought her own performance for $10,000 dollars. Finn sat in the audience, dumbstruck and drunk, as Rachel walked forward and took the microphone from the auctioneer.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Rachel Berry, from the FOX show _Glee_. I have a really good reason for buying my own performance, and I would like to share it with you." She dragged the stool over to center stage and made herself comfortable. "But first, I need to ask for help from a friend. Noah?"

Finn was seeing red as Puck came out on stage with his guitar. He pulled another stool up next to Rachel, and tuned the strings while Rachel continued with her speech. Finn wanted to run on stage and beat him to a bloody pulp. So much for clearing up all the Puckleberry rumors! "For those of you who don't know, this is Noah Puckerman, from the show as well. He offered to be my back up for this special performance." Rachel cleared her throat as Puck continued to tune the instrument. "I bought this performance because I wanted to sing a special song tonight for a special person. A song that no one would have let me sing. So, I'm sorry to the Prime Minister, but I owe you one. This song is for Finn Hudson." With this, Finn felt every eye in the room turn in his direction. His heart swelled with hope. "My co-star, my best-friend, and the love of my life."

From that moment on, Finn was completely detached from his surroundings. It felt like he was having an out-of-body-experience. The opening chords of Puck's intro filled the large venue, and Rachel's voice pierced his heart with the love he heard in her tone. He couldn't deny the tears welling in his eyes when the lyrics crashed over him.

_Daydreamer, sitting on the sea__  
__Soaking up the sun__  
__He is a real lover, Making up the past__  
__And feeling up his girl like he's never felt a figure before__  
__A jaw dropper__  
__Looks good when he walks,__  
__He's the subject of their talk__  
__He would be hard to chase, But good to catch__  
__And he could change the world with his hands behind his back,__  
__Oh__  
__  
__You can find him sitting on your doorstep__  
__Waiting for a surprise__  
__It will feel like he's been there for hours__  
__And you can tell that he'll be there for life__  
__  
__Daydreamer, with eyes that make you melt__  
__He lends his coat for shelter because he's there for you__  
__When he shouldn't be__  
__But he stays all the same, waits for you, then sees you through__  
__There's no way I could describe him__  
__All I say is, just what I'm hoping for__  
__  
__But I will find him sitting on my doorstep__  
__Waiting for a surprise__  
__It will feel like he's been there for hours__  
__And I can tell that he'll be there for life__  
__You can tell he'll be there for life_

Before Rachel could even finish the last note of the song, Finn ran onto the stage and kissed her in front of an entire crowd of celebrities, politicians and rich people. Their haughty gasps were the last thing he heard, before sweeping Rachel off the stage, and escaping the venue like a bat out of hell with her in his arms.

* * *

Salut mes amis!

The song I chose is called "Daydreamer" by Adele. If you haven't heard the song before, please YouTube it. It is a gorgeous song, and it gives me the chills imagining Rachel's voice on the vocals.

Final chapter up next time! Until Then. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


	13. Publicity Stunt

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: Well Hello, my dears. We have finally reached the last chapter of my first AU. I LOVED writing this story, and I am sad that it's over already! I seriously could have written this story forever, but it needed to get wrapped up. I have some ideas for new stories, but I will not be writing every day anymore; I can't keep up with it. But be on the lookout for me, I will be back. I promise!

Enjoy the final chapter of Casting Call!

Oh, and . . .**CITRUS ALERT!!** You know I couldn't end the story without one of these!

* * *

Casting Call

Chapter Thirteen: Publicity Stunt

* * *

"Finn Hudson, you put me down right this second!" Finn laughed at the screaming girl in his arms as he tried to rush past a crowd of stagehands and PA's. He needed to get out of this stuffy, stuck-up charity event with Rachel right-fucking-now.

"Excuse me, pardon me, coming through," He yelled at the sea of tuxedos and dresses he was pushing past. Finally, he reached a side door. Anything to get him the hell out of this venue--

Opening the door, he almost dropped Rachel on her butt when he was unceremoniously blinded by the flashes of a hundred cameras. The side door just happened to lead to the media tents. He turned around to try to push through the crowd again, but the paps pulled him into the media tent by the lapel of his jacket. Great.

"Finn! Rachel! Can you tell us what just happened? Was it planned? Was it all a publicity stunt for the show?" A blonde woman stuck a microphone in his face and a TV camera was filming him with Rachel still in his arms. They shared matching looks of shock, and Rachel finally hit Finn in the shoulder hard enough to make him put her down. Rachel took a second to straighten out her dress, then grabbed the microphone from blonde lady.

"I will have you know, that this performance was anything but a publicity stunt. It was a confession of true love, and an attempt to clear the slanderous rumors that I am currently dating both of my co-stars; which is both ludicrous and tacky." The blonde woman looked on in shock as Rachel ranted on in front of the cameras about her heartfelt gesture and how much her donation would impact cancer research. "It's so important to give back, you know?" She stated with her award winning smile.

The blonde woman took a second to absorb everything that Rachel had spewed out and then gave them a pleasant smile. "So you two are truly together?"

Finn took this opportunity to say the words he'd been dying to say since day one. "Yes, Rachel Berry is my girlfriend and I love her. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even be here." Making eye contact with Rachel, he could see the tears welling over her chocolate eyes. He bent down and placed his lips on hers, wrapping his arms around her and burying her in his embrace. He could hear the cameras snapping behind him, an the woman reporting on "True Love in the Cast of Glee," but neither moved.

Because neither cared.

After the impromptu interview with the press, Finn and Rachel escaped the venue on foot. There was only one car that brought the cast to the event, so it had to stay and wait for the event to be finished. Instead, they headed out on foot, in their expensive clothes and uncomfortable shoes. The two celebrities didn't care. Let people see them holding hands on the sidewalk in their ridiculous clothing. They were free.

"Hey, Broadway, you hungry? They say these events are catered but they give you plates with no food on it!"

Shaking her head, she laughed heartily. "Ohio, I am in a Zac Posen dress with Louboutin heels. I can't just waltz into a White Castle!"

"Why the fuck not? Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and dragged the Broadway star into a fast-food joint with greasy tables and dirty floors. He took one look at Rachel, dressed to the nines in such a place, and laughed his ass off. It was like seeing the Venus de Milo in a crack house.

They ate their greasy burgers and practically ran back to Finn's apartment. After a while she couldn't walk anymore in her heels, so she carried them as Finn carried her back to his apartment. When they entered the dark, empty space, they were naked before they were even able to get the lights on. They never did get the lights on actually, and they left their expensive clothes and shoes in a messy heap by the door. Finn idly hoped Puck didn't trip over those Louboutin heels on his way into the house. Those things can do damage to feet no matter if they stepped on you or you stepped on them.

They playfully crashed onto Finn's bed, and he took the moment to turn on his lights so he could see her gorgeous face. She still had a ton of makeup on, and she didn't remove the diamonds that were dripping off of her ears and neck. She looked like a fucking movie star, and she was _his_ movie star. His Broadway. And now the world knew.

He didn't hesitate to take her into his arms as he grew hard and desperate next to her. When was the last time they'd made love? He remembered with a painful twinge that it had been the night before the paparazzi scandal. It might have only been a week, but it had felt like a lifetime.

Never again. He would never let anything get between them again. Not fame, not money, not the media. Nothing.

He frantically found her mouth in the dim lighting of his bedroom and he felt Rachel metling into his embrace. He inhaled sharply as her hand closed around him, and he was seeing stars as she stroked him into a flurry of pleasure. He pushed her hands away, not wanting their fun to end so soon, and he attacked her chest with his hands and mouth. Caressing the soft flesh, he grew harder and harder with every moan and sigh that came out of her mouth. He would never tire of the way her breasts fit perfectly in his hands, and the salty but sweet taste of her skin when he brought his mouth to her nipple. She arched her back under his mouth and groaned with pleasure. It was almost enough to drive him over the egde.

So he pulled away from her. She was whimpering from the loss of contact, but not for much longer. Pulling on a condom, he laid next to her; stroking her hair, kissing her forehead and her lips. She giggled under his soft touches, and writhed sensually while he slipped his fingers inside of her to see if she was ready for him. Her legs opened slowly and he knew. She was more than ready.

He held her close to him as he entered her, slowly, as to savor the moment. The moment when they could love the other without worry, without secrets, without hiding. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. When he started to thrust he couldn't stop the moans from escaping his mouth. She was so gorgeous, and her body felt so good; surrounding him and filling him with all the peace he'd ever felt. It was like he was home.

He continued to push and pound into her willing body, and her screams of pleasure were like a symphony of sex to his ears. He looked down at her and saw nothing but the purest pleasure on her face. He was in heaven.

He could feel her tightening around her, and he increased his speed as he felt his own orgasm building. Rachel's arms gripped Finn's shoulders like a vice as he felt her squeezing him and sighing in pleasure. A few more thrusts and he was joining her in bliss as well, losing himself in the feeling of her and the love he felt in that moment.

They laid next to the other for hours, not moving. They didn't have to plan out a means of escape. They didn't have to sneak out before dawn. They didn't have to bring an extra set of clothes so no one thought otherwise. They just laid there, and fell asleep in the blissful haven of the other's arms.

* * *

For weeks and weeks after the Charity Event, people talked about nothing but the Finchel/Puckleberry debate, and the validity of the song that Rachel sang for Finn. No matter how many times they admitted that it had been real, everyone thought it had been a publicity stunt. They could say nothing to get people to think otherwise.

But they didn't care. They were finally a true Hollywood couple, going out to restaurants and art shows and museums. They had their pictures taken on the street and at all the fancy events. They no longer had to hide their PDA.

And they made Ryan rip up the confidentiality agreement. They didn't want their friends to carry that burden anymore.

In fact, they encouraged the cast to talk about their relationship now. There were still people who believed the song was a hoax, and that Rachel was still "head over heels in love" with Puck. So as long as the cast was out pimping their relationship, they were hoping to convert the Puckleberry's over to the Finchel side.

Glee was better than ever. The cast returned to the lot to film the final nine episodes of the season, and Finn and Rachel had more fun now than ever before on the set. Before they had tried to avoid each other as much as they could to fool the cast. Now they used every break as an opportunity to sing and crack jokes together. It was fun. And _Glee_ was becoming more and more popular as the days went by.

One day while they were on set, Ryan came in with the other writers, Brad and Ian, and sat the cast down.

"Well guys, we have some good news about next season." Finn and Rachel shared a warm look. As far as they were concerned, _Glee_ wasn't going anywhere. It was one of the hottest shows of the year! "We are going to introduce three new characters to the show, and because we had so much luck last time," Ryan looked at Finn and smiled, "We've decided to make the roles available through another open casting call!"

Finn just sat back in his seat and smiled. Another casting call. Another chance for a lonely loser like him to break into a life of stardom. He felt a small, warm, hand squeeze his. He looked down at Rachel, his love, his everything, and smiled.

"Maybe we can find another small town boy like you, Ohio."

"Only if he can find his own starlet to guide him. This town can eat you alive, Broadway."

The casting call went out and a few months later, Finn walked up to the lot with a familiar scene in front of him. He saw a bus, filled with people who looked more nervous than confident, pouring into the small building where they held auditions. He knew he had to be on set in a half an hour, but he detoured from his trailer to the building. He walked in and saw the waiting room filled with people. Nobodies.

Just like he used to be.

He smiled at the secretary and cleared his throat loudly. "Hello, everyone. I'm Finn Hudson." The reaction was instantaneous. Everyone stood on their feet, clapping and screaming and whistling so loud he could barely hear himself think. "I just wanted to take a moment and say 'Good Luck' to you all. I was in your position a year ago, and look at me now. Just remember that on _Glee_, anything is possible." The group of kids clapped and he walked out of the small building and headed for his trailer.

Instead of entering his, though, he went straight to Rachel's. He knocked on the door and she was already dressed in one of her trademark Lea costumes; knee length socks, plaid skirt and an argyle sweater. She looked adorable.

"Hey Ohio! Ready for today?" He smiled at the nickname she still used for him. He was glad he had someone to remind him of where he came from. It kept him grounded in this town full of ego.

"Broadway, as long as I'm with you, I'm always ready." She hopped out of her trailer and led him to the set, walking with him hand-in-hand.  
**  
****THE END**

* * *

SALUT MES AMIS!

IT'S OVER! I hoped you liked it!

Until Next Time (whenever that will be). . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk


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